Haridwar, Jun 7 (PTI) The Haridwar police on Sunday claimed to have solved a blind murder case of a woman, arresting three suspects from Uttar Pradesh, about 700 kilometres away.
The breakthrough followed a marathon investigation involving the analysis of over 600 hours of CCTV footage and the technical screening of over 1.5 lakh mobile phone numbers over about 25 days, according to officials.
The body of an unidentified woman was recovered on May 10 from the bushes along a defunct pedestrian path near the Chandi Devi temple ropeway route, police said.
SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar said the body was decomposed, making initial identification difficult. Investigators recovered two earrings, a broken mangalsutra, a white scarf and a blouse wrapped tightly around the victim’s neck from the spot.
During investigation, police spotted tattoos on the victim’s hands, which included the name ‘Kaushalya’ and other distinct marks, he said.
The team cross-referenced missing person reports filed since 2019, electoral records, and technical data. Surveillance footage from May 8, showed a woman walking towards the Chandi Devi temple with three men, police said, adding that the woman did not return with them.
Route analysis and technical surveillance led to Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, identifying suspects as Rakesh, Ramprakash alias Govinda, and Chhedilal.
The trio were taken into custody and during questioning, they revealed that the victim, Kaushalya, a resident of Banda, was in a relationship with Ramprakash, police said.
They said Ramprakash, who is already married, faced pressure from Kaushalya to marry her. Ramprakash decided to eliminate her and conspired with his brother Rakesh and brother-in-law Chhedilal, according to police.
The accused lured Kaushalya to Haridwar under the pretext of visiting the Chandi Devi temple and allegedly strangled her to death, police said.
A case has been registered against the three accused under Sections 103(1) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further legal proceedings are underway, they added. PTI AKY PRK PRK
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