Ludhiana: 8 days on, friend booked for labourer’s murder

According to the Luhdiana police, the friend had strangled the labourer to death over a monetary issue

Eight days after the body of a labourer was recovered from a vacant plot on Rahon Road, Meharban police booked one of his friends on Friday.

Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. It is nighttime, emergency lights of police cars flashing blue, red and white in the background (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to the police, the friend had strangled him to death over a monetary issue.

The victim was identified as Muni Ram Lal, a factory worker, of Rahon road area. His brother, Babu Lal, who lives in Uttar Pradesh, said that Muni Ram worked as a tailor at a factory in Ludhiana.

On January 20, he received information that his brother was found dead. As Babu Lal did not suspect any foul play, police had initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

But later, the autopsy report revealed that the victim had been strangled. Thereafter, the Meharban police contacted Babu Lal and asked him to come to the city.

Inspector Jagdev Singh, Meharban station house officer, said police found out that Muni Ram had lent ₹50,000 to Ghanshyam. The latter had not returned the money, due to which Muni had been repeatedly asking him to pay up.

The SHO said that it is suspected that Ghanshyam had murdered the victim over the monetary issue. A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused.