Gurugram murder: Cops recover knife and kitchen pestle from drain

Investigators said that the suspect had thrown both the items before going to his parents’ residence at Gandhi Nagar in Sector 11 after killing his wife.

Gurugram Police on Saturday said that they recovered the knife and the pestle allegedly used to dismember the body of 29-year-old Soniya Sharma by her husband and former Indian Navy cook Jitender, 37. The murder weapons were recovered after cleaning a narrow drain along NH-48, near Hero Honda Chowk.

Police recover knife and kitchen pestle after cleaning drain along NH

Investigators said that the suspect, Jitender, had thrown both the items before going to his parents’ residence at Gandhi Nagar in Sector 11 after killing Soniya at his Manesar house on the morning of April 21. Police said Jitender scattered the body parts across different locations within three hours.

Soniya, Jitender’s second wife, found out about his affair with another woman who lives in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, in 2019. Soniya also found out that Jitender had a three-year-old with the woman, which led to frequent quarrels between them.

A senior police officer, privy to the investigation, said that a mini excavator was used to clear mud and sludge from the drain. “We found both items after a three-hour search. They will be sent for forensic analysis,” he said.

The officer said they recovered all of Soniya’s body parts except her arms, which were dumped at Manesar hills, where slaughterhouse waste is also dumped. “We scanned the entire area full of animal remains but did not find anything. We suspect dogs or stray animals may have taken away those body parts,” he said.

Investigators said that Jitender, a former Indian Navy cook, planned the murder meticulously and surveyed several spots for days to finalise the dumping sites.

Police said that they will soon send the recovered body parts for further forensic examination and DNA sampling, ading that they will also serve notice to Jitender’s paramour in Hazaribagh to appear before them in Gurugram for investigation.