M A I N   N E W S

Moga DSP was killed by robbers; three arrested
Mohit Khanna
Tribune News Service

one Absconding n The police claimed the three suspects confessed to snatchings and rapes. Their fourth accomplice is absconding n The accused targeted young couples visiting the Golf Link area. While one of them would rob the man, the other three would gangrape the woman, the police said

Ludhiana, April 5
With the arrest of three persons, the city police claims to have cracked the murder case of Balraj Singh Gill, DSP, Moga, and Monica Kapila. The two were found dead in a farmhouse in the Golf Link area near Hambran road on February 1.

The accused, identified as Harwinder Singh alias Binder, Pritpal Singh alias Ladoo and Umesh Karda — all residents of Talwara village located near the farmhouse — were arrested by the Haibowal police this morning. Another accomplice, Hassanji of Leha village near Sidhwan Bet, is absconding.

Besides gold ornaments and a purse, the police has seized three mobile phones belonging to Gill and Monica from the the accused.

The police said Harwinder Singh works as a security guard at Ayali Kalan and Pritpal Singh is a construction worker. Umesh is a videographer at a studio in the Clock Tower area.

Harwinder owned a pick-up truck, which the suspects allegedly used to move around in the area for snatching valuables. Hassanji deals in sale and purchase of stolen vehicles. Sources said Hassanji lured the three suspects into carjacking and murder.

Sources said Pritpal Singh made contradictory statements during questioning by the special investigating team (SIT).

“It is too early to comment on the motive. We nabbed them only in the morning,” said Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh at a press conference. The police has seized an iron rod, a wooden log and a knife allegedly used in the crime.Police sources said the accused confessed to over a dozen snatchings and rapes.

The suspects, who were equipped with sharp weapons, trapped young couples visiting the Golf Link area. While one of them robbed the male, the other three would gangrape the woman, the police said.

“We are yet to ascertain if the accused are drug addicts. We are not ruling out the involvement of more persons in the murder of the DSP and Monica,” said the commissioner.

The Commissioner said on the evening of February 1, Umesh Karda saw Gill and Monica reach the farmhouse owned by Sanjay Agnihotri in their cars. He passed this information to his accomplices, including Pritpal and Harwinder.

Sources said before lifting the vehicles, they waited outside the house. When Gill and Monica came out and were locking the gate, the assailants attacked them with sharp weapons and dragged them inside the farmhouse.

As Balraj suffered injuries and was bleeding profusely, they made him sit on a sofa. Then, one of the suspects dealt the fatal blow on the head of the DSP. To ensure that the victim was dead, the suspects slit his throat.

Sources said the suspects then tried to rape Monica. When she resisted, they smashed her head against a wall killing her.

The suspects then fled the scene in the stolen vehicles. They assembled at Noorpur Bet where they switched off the mobile phones so that the police could not trace them.