CHANDIGARH, March 3: Haryana Police on Monday arrested a “friend” of Congress worker Himani Narwal for allegedly strangling her with a wired mobile charger after a fight at her home in Rohtak and later dumping her body in a suitcase.
Himani’s body was found stuffed in a suitcase in Rohtak on Saturday, leading to the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the murder.
Speaking to reporters in Rohtak, Additional DGP K K Rao said the accused, Sachin, hails from Jhajjar district, where he runs a mobile phone shop, and was arrested in Delhi.
Rao said it was a murder with few clues.
“When the body was found, we set up eight teams, including an SIT. Our priority was to identify the victim when her body was found. When the family identified her, the police conducted swift investigations to trace out the accused.
“For the past one-and-half years, the accused was in contact with the woman through social media and also used to visit her home.
“The woman used to live alone in Vijay Nagar. On February 27, the accused visited her home, and they had a heated argument,” Rao said.
The officer said the fight between the two broke out over money.
According to police, Sachin, a married man with no political connections, strangled Himani with a wired mobile phone charger, killing her on the spot.
Sachin was produced before a court in Rohtak on Monday and was sent to a three-day police remand.
“There was a monetary issue between the two, but what it was, all this has to be verified first. We cannot say this was the reason (for the murder).
Rao said that after strangling Himani, Sachin took her jewellery, laptop, ring and rode her scooter to Jhajjar to hide these items in his shop there.
The same night, he returned to her home, stuffed her body in a black suitcase and got into an auto-rickshaw with the bag, as well as a quilt that had blood stains on it.
He got down near Sampla bus stand to waylay the investigation, Rao said.
Once the auto-rickshaw left, he dumped the suitcase and left.
The officer said the auto-rickshaw driver had no inkling that the passenger was carrying a body in the suitcase.
“There was no talk of marriage between the two as the accused is already married . but they were friends,” he said.
Some Congress members said Himani was a dedicated party worker and also took part in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra. Pictures of her with Gandhi making rounds on social media bear this out.
Police said Sachin was held in Delhi based on intelligence inputs. (PTI)
