New delhi, Dec. 1 -- The wife and brother-in-law of a man accused of murdering his live-in partner in southwest Delhi's Chhawla have been apprehended for allegedly helping him move the woman's body to a car, police said on Monday.
Police had earlier arrested Virendra (35) for allegedly killing the 44-year-old woman by throttling her with his elbow after a drunken quarrel at their rented house on the intervening night of November 25 and 26.
A senior police officer said two others, identified as Chetan (21), Virendra's brother-in-law from Haryana's Charkhi Dadri, and Poonam (31), Virendra's wife, were apprehended on November 28 after evidence indicated their involvement.
"Both Chetan and Poonam arrived at the house that night and assisted Virendra in carrying the woman's body down to the car parked outside. Their clothes from the night of the incident have been seized, along with an electric scooter used by them to reach the spot," the officer said.
Police said Virendra, who works with a bus company, had been living with the deceased for two years. The woman earlier owned a house in Palam, which the couple sold. Using the proceeds, Virendra purchased a three-storey building in his own name in Chhawla in August, while another Rs 21 lakh from the sale remained with him - a recurring point of dispute between the two.
On the night of the incident, the couple allegedly consumed alcohol, and a fight erupted. During the altercation, Virendra pinned the woman to the bed and allegedly throttled her with his elbow, killing her.
Police said that after the murder, Virendra called Chetan and Poonam for help. After the three moved the body to the car, the couple left, and Virendra attempted to drive away to dispose of the body. However, heavily intoxicated, he abandoned the vehicle barely 100 metres away and returned home, where he continued drinking before falling asleep.
Around 9 am the next morning, a neighbour spotted the woman's body inside the vehicle and informed the police. Virendra was found asleep at home and was arrested on the spot. Police said further investigation is underway, including forensic analysis of the seized clothes and the electric scooter.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.