17 days on, police form three-member SIT
More than two weeks after a revenue officer (kanungo) of Koomkalan sub-tehsil, Ludhiana district, went missing, police have formed a threemember special investigating team (SIT) to probe the murder case.
The development comes after the family members of victim Albel Singh met police commissioner on Monday. A banker and his aide were arrested on October 19, a day after the victim went missing.
The SIT comprises additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, crime) Rattan Singh Brar, assistant commissioner of police (ACP, crime) Surinder Mohan and in-charge, CIA staff -1, inspector Harpal Singh Grewal. The team has been told to investigate the case and find the victim’s body.
It was victim’s son Gurpreet Singh who lodged a missing person’s report at Dehlon police station on October 19.
He suspected Aakarshit Moudgill, a banker, to have abducted his father.
Police took Moudgill into custody. During the interrogation, he confessed to murdering Albel Singh and dumping his body in a canal near Sangowal village, which is around 25 km from Ludhiana city.
Dehlon police had also arrested Moudgill’s cousin Kamal Joshi for his alleged involvement in the crime.
The duo is in judicial custody at the Ludhiana Central Jail.
Gurpreet Singh said police had initially registered the case under Section 365 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
During questioning the accused confessed to have murdered Albel Singh and dumped the body in a canal after which Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of the IPC were added to the FIR.
‘ACCUSED HAD DUPED VICTIM OF ₹35 LAKH’
Gurpreet said, “Aakarshit Moudgill had duped my father of ₹35 lakh. Later, he agreed to return the money. But he called my father on October 18, and took him in his Chevrolet Optra Magnum car. The accused hacked him to death and dumped his body in a canal. After the crime, the accused also changed seat covers of his car.”
“My father’s Toyota Innova was recovered on October 19 near Gurm village near Sangowal village. There are several issues that need to be investigated thoroughly. Moreover, my father’s body is yet to recovered,” Gurpreet said.
Darshan Kumar Sharma, president of Revenue Kanungo Association said if the police do not recover the body by November 18, they will protest.
Inspector Kulwant Singh, Station House Officer at Dehlon, said efforts are on to recover the body. They have alerted other police stations to keep a tab on bodies recovered from canal.
The victim is survived by wife Darshan Kaur, son Gurpreet Singh and daughter Gurpreet Singh, who is an advocate.
VICTIM WENT MISSING ON OCTOBER 18 AND POLICE ARRESTED A BANKER AND HIS COUSIN WHO CONFESSED TO THE MURDER AND DUMPING BODY IN A CANAL