Ludhiana: Annoyed over allegations of mobile theft, labourer strangulates friend

Victim’s wife said on April 26, the accused had come to their house and taken her husband along with him saying that they would return in a few minutes, but they did not

Annoyed over allegations of mobile theft, a labourer strangled his friend to death with a piece of cloth, police said on Friday.

Victim’s wife had suspicion on the accused that he had murdered her husband and fled after dumping his body in the fields. (Image for representational purpose)

The body of victim Dharinder Rishi was found in fields in Mohi village.

The accused has been identified as Chandan of Rurka village.

Victim’s wife Sunani Devi of Bihar’s Purnia said they had been living in Rurka for the past five years. The accused, Chandan, was a friend of her husband.

On April 26, the accused had come to their house and taken her husband along with him saying that they would return in a few minutes, but they did not, she told the police. She started searching for her husband on her own, but to no avail.

On April 28, the body of her husband was found in a field, 3km away from their house.

She had suspicion on Chandan that he had murdered her husband and fled after dumping the body in the fields.

Sunani added that her husband had lost his mobile phone on April 21.

“He suspected Chandan of stealing his phone. My husband talked to Chandan about the phone, who in turn started abusing him,” she told the police.

She alleged that Chandan had nursed a grudge against her husband over the accusation and murdered him.

Sudhar station house officer (SHO) sub-inspector Kirandeep Singh said the victim was strangled to death. It is suspected that the accused used a piece of cloth to execute the crime, he added.

A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused and a hunt to nab him has been launched, the SHO said.