Jammu double-murder case solved, one held

A man was arrested here for allegedly murdering an elderly couple four days ago, a senior police officer said on Wednesday. He said the accused had no criminal record and had been acquainted with the family for about eight years.

Deepak Singh alias “Sonu” was in need of money and planned the murder to rob the family, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Joginder Singh said.

Sanjay Chandaill, a retired principal, and his wife Veena Devi were found dead at their Patta Chungi Udheywala residence in the Bohri area on the outskirts of the city on September 14.

“The blind murder case was solved with the arrest of Sonu, a resident of Talab Tillo, who was known to the family for the last seven to eight years and assisted them in household chores,” the SSP told reporters.

The couple lived alone after their two daughters moved outside Jammu and Kashmir a few months back, Singh said. He said Sonu had left his house on September 3 and his wife lodged a missing report on September 9.

The SSP said Sonu returned on September 12, forcibly took Rs 5,000 from his wife and left again. He added that investigations have revealed that he worked alone in committing the crime.

The official said CCTV cameras proved very helpful in solving this case, and requested residents to expand the coverage of their gadgets to cover the main roads as well.