Panchkula, Oct. 1 -- City-based lawyer and Sector 19 resident Manmohan Singh, his friend Monika from Pinjore, and her brother-in-law Sandeep Gill from Kaithal have been sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Rajni, 36, wife of Manmohan. The order was pronounced by the court of additional sessions judge Bikramjit Aroura on Tuesday, a day after the trio was held guilty. Though Rajni's body could not be recovered, the prosecution successfully proved the murder with the help of strong circumstantial evidence, including the recovery of her jewellery and other material leads. Public prosecutor Sukhwinder Kaur said that while the convicts were in the habit of making multiple calls daily, very few calls were made from their phones on January 16-the day Rajni went missing. She added that convict Sandeep had also made an extra-judicial confession admitting his guilt. The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the IPC. They were also awarded seven years under Section 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), one year under Section 346 (wrongful confinement in secret), and three years under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence). Each convict was fined Rs 57,000. The court directed that all the sentences would run concurrently. The case was registered at Sector 20 police station in January 2018 under Sections 346, 364, 302, 120-B, and 180 of the IPC after Rajni went missing on January 16, 2018. Police got their first breakthrough after tracing multiple calls from Rajni's phone to Monika, including a 20-minute call on January 13 and her final call to Monika on January 16. Manmohan was arrested near Suraj Theatre, while Monika and Sandeep were nabbed later. Police had said Rajni had left her home around 11.15 am on January 16, saying she was going to the market. Her last phone location was traced to Sector 21 around 12.15 pm, after which her phone was switched off. Rajni's brother, Naresh Kumar, a daily wager from Kharar, testified that his sister had a troubled marriage since 2004. He alleged that Manmohan often assaulted Rajni as he disapproved of her family's lower economic background. He told the court that Manmohan had earlier visited his house and threatened to kill Rajni and him. He had also alleged that Manmohan was behind the murder. According to the prosecution, Manmohan had planned to kill Rajni and conspired with Monika and Sandeep. On January 16, 2018, Monika and Sandeep handed over their mobile phones to Monika's sister and sent her to Sector 22, Chandigarh, while they waited for Rajni in Sector 21, Panchkula. Monika, using a passerby's phone, called her sister to ask if Rajni had contacted her. Rajni was then lured to the Sector 21 light point. The prosecution further stated that the three had conspired to kill Rajni on January 15 near Tibet Market, Manimajra. Sandeep, a truck driver, was roped into the plan as they needed someone to drive Monika's car. After kidnapping Rajni, they took her to a deserted location. Monika strangled Rajni with a rope while Sandeep held her legs. They later threw the body in a ditch in Sector 25, Panchkula, after removing her jewellery. Both Monika and Sandeep admitted to their involvement during police remand and identified the crime spots. On January 20, Manmohan claimed that one of Rajni's slippers had been recovered near a ditch in Sector 25. He identified it as hers. A ditch around 200 meters away was dug up on suspicion, but it contained carcass of a pet dog. Jan 17, 2018: A day after the murder, Manmohan was seen meeting Monika in Manimajra. This meeting was captured on CCTV footage. Jan 28: Police seize the car used in the crime from Manimajra. Bloodstains and saliva were found on the seat covers. Jan 31: Sandeep identified the sewage drain where they had thrown the rope, Rajni's saree, mobile phone, and shawl. Feb 1: Sandeep got Rajni's jewellery recovered from his in-laws' house in Pinjore. Feb 3: Police recover a piece of rope, Rajni's ring, and 37 photographs of Monika with Manmohan from her rented accommodation in Manimajra....