Kharar man’s murder: Divorced wife held, says he forced her into prostitution

The accused told police that Abdul forced her sister and her into prostitution and was blackmailing her to finance his drug addiction. The two have four children.

Three days on, police on Saturday arrested the former wife of 30-year-old man found murdered near Hussainpur village in Kharar for the crime.

Abdul was found murdered on January 3.

The accused, Sabana, told police that Abdul forced her sister Shabnam and her into prostitution and was blackmailing her to finance his drug addiction. The two have four children.

Police have also arrested Shabnam and her friend Mohammad Gulzar for conspiring to kill Abdul on January 3.

“Abdul had divorced Sabana three months back, but was not letting her live independently,” said a senior district police officer. “He would often ask her to continue earning for him through prostitution for his drug addiction.”

He was also threatening to “expose” her before her family and relatives, said the cop. “This prompted her and her sister to take the extreme step.”

The duo had married in 2005 in Delhi, where he forced her into prostitution as he could not earn much as a rickshaw-puller. They shifted to Chandigarh four years back and he convinced her to bring her sister too.

“Sabana was angry as Abdul also made her sister join prostitution and was not letting them live independently with her four children,” said police. Abdul had in fact bought two cars from the sisters’ earnings.

‘Were trying to flee’

Police said Sabana confessed to the crime after sustained questioning.

Abdul had met with an accident while travelling with the Sabana and their kids in Sector 43. They returned home in a cab around 4am after getting treatment at hospital.

“After returning home, Sabana and Shabnam called Gulzar. The two women carried Abdul out of the house around 4:30am and made him sit on the rear seat of the bike,” said superintendent of police (investigation) Harbir Singh Atwal.

They took the man to a secluded area, where Gulzar bludgeoned him to death with a sharp-edged weapon and an iron rod.

The trio was arrested near Balongi while trying to flee.