Ludhiana: Tenant held for killing elderly woman for money, say police

Khanna senior superintendent of police Darpan Ahluwalia said Jagpal Kaur, a retired teacher, was found dead at her residence on February 1

The Khanna police on Saturday claimed to have solved the murder of an 81-year-old elderly NRI woman, Jagpal Kaur, with the arrest of one of her tenants, who allegedly strangled her to death with the intention of robbing cash and valuables.

The accused in police custody. (HT Photo)

The arrested accused has been identified as Rahul, 24, a native of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, who had been living with his wife and two children in a rented accommodation in the Navi Abadi area of Khanna for the past three years. Rahul works as a daily wager.

Khanna senior superintendent of police Darpan Ahluwalia said Jagpal Kaur, a retired teacher, was found dead at her residence on February 1. Following the incident, police teams reached the spot and launched an investigation, which led to the arrest of the accused.

According to the police, the accused was under financial stress after borrowing ₹20,000 from an acquaintance for the treatment of his ailing father, who later died two months ago. The lender allegedly began pressuring Rahul to return the money. Police claimed that to repay the loan, the accused hatched a plan to rob Jagpal Kaur, who had been living alone for the past two months and earned rental income.

The SSP said the accused was familiar with the woman’s house, having earlier assisted her with sanitary work after she returned to Khanna in October 2025. “On the intervening night of January 31 and February 1, Rahul allegedly climbed over the compound wall barefoot around 2.30 am, after leaving his mobile phone in his rented room to avoid suspicion. He reportedly hid inside the house and attacked the woman when she woke up around 5 am,” the SSP said.

Police claimed the woman fell and suffered a head injury, after which the accused allegedly strangled her using a dupatta. He then fled with her handbag containing cash and valuables, which are yet to be recovered.

The accused was aware of CCTV cameras installed in the area and avoided blind spots while escaping. Further investigation is underway, the SSP said.