BSF jawan arrested for killing wife in Hoshiarpur, staging it as roof fall

The accused, Amarjit Singh, had recently been shifted from Orissa to Kashmir and was currently on leave before joining his new posting, Hoshiarpur police said

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was arrested for allegedly beating his wife to death in Hoshiarpur’s Badhalian village and trying to pass it off as a fall from the roof.

Victim Rama and accused Amarjit Singh had been married for 12 years. (HT)

The accused, Amarjit Singh, had recently been shifted from Orissa to Kashmir and was currently on leave before joining his new posting, police said.

He and the victim, Rama, had been married for 12 years and had two children.

Police said they were alerted by Rama’s father who alleged that Amarjit had beaten her to death, as her body bore multiple injury marks. He alleged that Amarjit was an alcoholic, who often subjected his daughter to physical abuse.

Police cited the father as saying that they received a call from Amarjit on August 14, informing that Rama had accidentally fallen off their roof and had been hospitalised. When the family reached the hospital, they found that Rama was dead.

“As Amarjit remained away from home for long intervals due to his job, my wife and I came to stay with Rama. But Amarjit forced us to leave. He often quarrelled with our daughter. The matter was discussed in the panchayat also, but he did not mend his ways,” Ram Chand alleged.

He alleged that one of Amarjit’s uncles and his wife were also involved in the murder and cover-up of the incident.

Acting on his complaint, Hajipur police booked Amarjit for murder and arrested him.

Station house officer Harprem Singh said efforts were underway to trace and arrest the accused’s relatives as well.