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Ludhiana woman electrocutes husband, makes it look like accident
Ludhiana police officials found the explanation suspicious as decorative lights typically do not carry enough voltage to cause electrocution
Police have arrested a woman and her boyfriend for allegedly electrocuting her husband to death at their house at Bhoda colony, Jagirpur road, on Diwali.
The accused attempted to pass the incident off as a mishap, telling police that her husband had suffered an electric shock while putting out decorative lights for Diwali.
Probe officials, however, found the explanation suspicious as decorative lights typically do not carry enough voltage to cause electrocution.
The Tibba police arrested the accused Ranjita Devi, 35, who is mother of three children, and her boyfriend Gopal Kumar, 27, of Meharban on Wednesday, and booked them for murder.
The first information report (FIR) was registered following the statement of Manoj Kumar of Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, the brother of the victim Vinod Ram, 38.
Sharing details, inspector Lovedeep Singh, Tibba police station house officer (SHO), said they recovered information about a factory worker being electrocuted at his home. On being informed, the teams reached the spot and initiated an investigation.
Ranjita initially told the police that her husband was electrocuted while installing decorations for Diwali. However, a subsequent search of the house uncovered a peeled wire, raising suspicions about the nature of Vinod’s death.
Vinod’s family, who reside in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, were informed by the police and the body was sent for an autopsy. The results confirmed death by electrocution, but also identified injury marks, specifically around Vinod’s fingers. The marks were consistent with wires being wound around his fingers to administer an electric shock.
“Police suspected the involvement of Vinod’s wife, Ranjita. After questioning her, she confessed to the crime,” the SHO said, adding that Vinod, Ranjita, and their three children had been residing in a labour quarter in Meharban. The co-accused, Gopal, also lived in the same area.
“Ranjita was having an affair with Gopal, which Vinod uncovered six months ago. Vinod and his family relocated to Bhoda Colony, Jagirpur, where they built their own house and he prohibited Ranjita from seeing Gopal, prompting the latter to conspire with her to kill Vinod,” the SHO added.
The accused had deliberately sent her children to their grandparents’ house prior to Diwali, having planned to murder Vinod during the festival to make the death look accidental.
The SHO said Gopal visited their home on Diwali night. There, he and Ranjita administered electric shocks to Vinod until he died.
Vinod’s brother, Manoj Ram, said his brother had been under stress ever since he had learnt of his wife’s affair.
A case under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused at the Tibba police station.
The victims, identified as Kiranpreet Singh, 35, of Village Shahpur of Payal and his cousin Jasdeep Singh, 34, were rushed to hospital — where their condition has been stated as serious.
Police have arrested the accused, including Gurpreet Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Harwinder Singh, Harvel Singh and Baljinder Singh. Their aides, Gursimran, Pardeep Singh of Begowal village, Jasvir Singh of Village Deep Nagar, Manjinder Singh, Gagna and Happy are yet to be arrested.
According to the police, Gursimran Singh Simma had hatched the conspiracy to attack the victims and involved his aides in it.
The first information report (FIR) was registered following the statement of Bhinder Kaur, Kiranpreet’s mother.
The complainant told police that she, along with her son Kiranpreet Singh, daughter-in-law Jaspreet Kaur, grandson, sister-in-law Kuldeep Kaur and Kuldeep’s son Jasdeep Singh went to pay their obeisance at a gurdwara in Kaddon village. They parked their car near the eye hospital. As they stepped out, the accused attacked Kiranpreet Singh.
When Jasdeep Singh tried to intervene, they attacked him. When they raised an alarm, the accused escaped from the spot leaving Kiranpreet Singh and Jasdeep Singh lying injured in a pool of blood. They rushed both of them to hospital and informed the police.
Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Hardam Singh, who is investigating the case, said the accused have been booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148, 149 (both rioting) and 427 (mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Soon after registering the FIR, police arrested five of the accused. The arrested accused told police that Gursimran Singh had called on them to assault Kirandeep Singh, but they have no idea about the reason. The complaint stated she is unaware about the reason behind the attack.
The ASI added that the cases will be cleared after the arrest of Gursimran Singh or after recording the statement of Kirandeep Singh. A hunt is on for the arrest of the rest of the accused.
