Sohna woman’s murder was planned, burglary scene staged, say police

The woman was found lying unresponsive in the bathroom on Friday, bound and gagged. Police initially suspected burglary because the house had been ransacked, but investigators said they had found no evidence that valuables had been stolen

A day after a 37-year-old woman was found murdered in the bathroom of her home in Sohna’s Daulah village, police on Saturday said they suspect the killing was pre-planned and that the house was deliberately ransacked to make it appear like a burglary and mislead investigators.

A CCTV grab of the suspects arriving at the victim’s house on Friday morning. (HT Photo)

The woman was found lying unresponsive in the bathroom on Friday, with her hands and legs tied and her mouth and nose covered with several layers of masking tape. She was later declared on arrival at the hospital.

Police initially suspected burglary because the house had been ransacked, but investigators said they had found no evidence that valuables had been stolen.

Police said the woman was alone at home when two suspects entered the house between 10am and 11am on Friday. They allegedly tied her hands and legs and covered her mouth and nose with tape, which investigators suspect caused her to suffocate to death.

Her husband, a schoolteacher, and their three children had left home by 8am. The family rushed back around 3pm after a relative visited the house and found the door open and the house ransacked.

Mukesh Yadav, assistant commissioner of police, Sohna, said a pair of silver anklets, a gold locket and a finger ring were found on the woman’s body.

“Had the suspects arrived with the intention of burgling the house, they would have taken away her personal jewellery too. The family went through the valuables at home and informed us that nothing was found missing. This again indicates that the ransacking was a deliberate attempt to mislead the police,” he said.

Yadav said police examined footage from CCTV cameras in the vicinity and found that three suspects had arrived near the woman’s residence on a motorcycle on Friday morning, after her husband left for work.

“Two of them entered the woman’s home while the third one stood near the bike. The suspects remained indoors for almost 30 minutes. They then called up the third man who brought the motorcycle around to the woman’s home and fled with the two men as soon as they emerged from the house,” he said, adding that the movements were captured by CCTV cameras near the spot.

Police said four crime branch teams and two district police teams have been formed to trace and arrest the three suspects. Investigators said the teams were also checking possible hideouts in neighbouring states.

Police are also analysing the call detail records of the woman and her husband for clues. Yadav said investigators had not ruled out the husband’s involvement.

A medical board conducted the autopsy on Saturday, following which the body was handed over to the family for cremation. “Once post-mortem report arrives, it will be clear if she was sexually assaulted and what was the exact cause of death,” Yadav said.

Meanwhile, a large number of residents and the woman’s family members blocked Sohna Road from 9am to 11am on Saturday, demanding the immediate arrest of the suspects.

Inspector Sunil Kumar, station house officer of Sadar Sohna police station, said the blockade was lifted after police spoke to the protesters. “They were demanding immediate arrest of the suspects and justice,” he said, adding that traffic movement on the stretch was affected during the protest.