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Chandigarh Police file challan, say serial rapist-killer targeted solitary women
Resident of Shahpur Colony in Sector 38 West, the accused, Monu Kumar, is a father of two daughters, but separated from them and his wife since 2011, according to police; he originally hails from Uttar Pradesh and is currently lodged in Model Jail, Chandigarh
Concluding the arduous investigation into the rape-murders of two women that occurred 12 years apart, Chandigarh Police on Thursday filed a chargesheet against the prime accused, Monu Kumar.
Identical semen samples from the bodies of both victims — a 22-year-old MBA student, who was raped and murdered in Sector 38 West in 2010, and a 40-year-old woman who met the same fate in 2-km away Maloya in 2022 — had helped the police nail the accused, aged 39 and taxi driver by profession, in May this year.
Three months later, police have filed a combined chargesheet against him under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, listing more than 60 witnesses and including his confession statement to buttress their case.
As per the disclosure report, in both cases, Monu was heavily intoxicated when he spotted the two women by themselves, near forest areas, in rainy weather, spurring the attacks.
Resident of Shahpur Colony in Sector 38 West, he is a father of two daughters, but has been separated from them and his wife since 2011, according to police. He originally hails from Uttar Pradesh and is currently lodged in Model Jail, Chandigarh.
Confessing to raping and murdering the MBA student in July 2010, he recalled that he encountered her while she was talking on her phone near the secluded Karan Taxi Stand in Sector 38 West residential area.
He attacked her from behind with a heavy stone, leaving her half dead. He then dragged her into the bushes where he sexually assaulted her. Monu took one of her two phones, sold it in the Industrial Area and discarded the other phone in the jungle. He also signed a receipt using a false address.
The challan report indicates that Monu was identified by witness Salman as the person who sold the victim’s phone. Through investigation, the victim’s phone was traced to one Manoj Sharma, who had purchased it from Salman. The latter had revealed that he bought the phone from Monu at a shop in Industrial Area, Phase 1. The receipt for the phone, bearing the accused’s thumb impression or signature, was seized as evidence.
DNA samples retrieved from victim’s body and clothes, and specimen signatures of Monu were sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Sector 36, for analysis. As the results are pending, police plan to file a supplementary challan later, relying on his confession statement and witnesses for now.
Police had initially reached a dead end in the 2010 rape-murder case and even filed an untraced report in court in February 2020. But they got a break following an uncannily similar rape-murder in 2022.
The CFSL team had preserved semen samples collected from bodies of both victims, making the DNA test possible that eventually established that both women were murdered by the same man.
CFSL determined that a DNA profile recovered from semen stains on the clothes and body of the victim in the 2022 case was from an unknown male individual. Blood samples from numerous suspects were tested, but initially, no match was found.
On August 5, 2023, based on secret information, police obtained a blood sample from suspect Monu Kumar and sent it to CFSL. The results, received on April 27, 2024, confirmed that the DNA profile from the semen stains on the victim’s body matched Monu.
Has also confessed to third rape-murder
During interrogation, Monu also admitted to committing several violent crimes while intoxicated, including another rape-murder on February 27, 2024.
As per his disclosure, he drank liquor at vend in Sector 37. Later, he walked towards Sector 55 and bought two additional beer bottles from Mohali wine shop. He then consumed half a bottle of country made liquor.
Under the influence, Monu noticed a woman, approximately 55 years old, who appeared to be mentally impaired. He approached her, took her hand and led her to a secluded area in Sector 54’s forest area. Once there, he attacked her with a stone, causing her to collapse. He then sexually assaulted her. He proceeded to steal her anklets and earrings. Police are yet to file challan in this case.
