‘Honour killing’ turns out plot to eliminate family over financial feud ‘Family’s call records would’ve simplified case’
NEW DELHI : Two years after a 23-year-old Delhi school teacher was murdered and her parents and brother went missing — prompting the Uttar Pradesh police to book and charge sheet her missing family members for ‘honour’ killing — the Delhi Police on Thursday said they have arrested a man who had allegedly murdered all the four members of the family over a monetary dispute.
AK Singla, additional commissioner of police (crime branch), said the UP Police had “wrongly concluded” that the woman’s family killed her. “Their disappearance had led the UP Police to accuse them for the crime,” the officer said.
Singla said there were two killers — Abhishek Pal, who has been arrested, and a 16-year-old boy who died in a road accident last November. “The minor would get drunk and boast of killing four people. The word spread and someone tipped us off last Sunday after which we arrested Pal,” said Singla.
Naina Kirodiwal was a teacher at a private school and lived with her parents, Ved Prakash and Sadhna, and 20-year-old brother, Shubham, in Wazirabad.
As per the Delhi Police’s version, Prakash had leased one of his shops to Katiyar. “Katiyar incurred losses and borrowed money from Prakash. Their common friend, Pal was Katiyar’s guarantor,” said Singla.
When the money wasn’t returned, Prakash began pressuring Pal and Katiyar. “Pal discussed the problem with Prakash’s nephew and former employee Sonu who suggested murdering his uncle. Sonu was disgruntled with his uncle for being kicked out of job and also had an eye on his business and properties,” said Singla.
“Pal has told us that Katiyar committed suicide in Uttar Pradesh in late 2016. We are verifying it and his role in the murders,” said Singla. Pal, meanwhile, allegedly roped in a 16-year-old “budding criminal” for the murder. On July 15, 2016, the duo allegedly called Prakash out of his home. “As soon as Prakash stepped into Pal’s car, they stran-
The killers had called Naina’s father, Ved Prakash, and brother, Shubham, on their phone before the murder. An analysis of the call records would have revealed the real killers.
AK SINGLA, additional commissioner of police (crime branch)
gled him with a clutch wire. They dumped Prakash’s body in the boot of Pal’s car,” said Singla.
“The killers suspected that Shubham had seen them with Prakash. He too was lured out of his home and killed the same way. Their bodies were then hidden at Pal’s home,” said Singla. Prakash’s wife Sadhna was also strangled allegedly because she had seen Shubham in the company of the killers, said Singla.
“As they planned their next step, they realised that Naina had brought along her house keys. They entered her house and stole the keys to the family’s Santro car. The next evening, they moved all the four bodies to the boot and back seat of the Santro at a closed public school in the neighbourhood,” said the officer.
The alleged killers sought help from two people, who the Delhi police hope to use as witnesses.
“The Santro car was driven to a canal in Dhaulana, UP, in the early hours of July 17, 2016. They dumped all the four bodies in the canal and pushed the car into the water,” said Singla.
The local police registered a murder case and blamed the missing trio. “The relatives of the dead aren’t aware of Naina’s relationship with anyone, but maybe the UP Police found some clue in call records. The presence of her father’s car near the crime spot added to their suspicion,” said an investigator. NEW DELHI: While investigating the 2016 murder of a Naina Kirodiwal, a Delhi school teacher, and the disappearance of her parents and brother, all the Uttar Pradesh Police had to do to solve the case was analyse their call records, the Delhi Police said Thursday after arresting a man for killing all the four people.
The alleged lapse has left the relatives of the dead family “traumatised” and with “tarnished reputations”. The relatives said their lives were destroyed because of a “faulty probe” by the UP police.
Responding to the allegations, Sankalp Saxena, superintendent of police (Hapur), said he was awaiting a detailed interrogation and i nvestigation report from the Delhi Police. “Based on that, we will order a departmental enquiry. If the investigators erred, they will be punished and the course will be set right,” Saxena said.
Naina’s body was found in a canal in UP’S Hapur on July 17, 2016. Her parents and brothers had gone missing, because of which the UP Police accused them of honour killing.
On Friday, the Delhi Police alleged the arrested man, Abhishek Pal, had killed the four people over a monetary dispute.
“The killers had called Naina’s father, Ved Prakash, and brother, Shubham, on their phone before the murder. An analysis of the call records would have revealed the real killers,” AK Singla, additional commissioner of police (crime branch), said.
“The UP Police detained and questioned a disgruntled relative of Prakash’s, Sonu, but let him off later. It was that man who had suggested the murder plan to Pal,” Singla said.
Singla said the absence of monetary transactions in the family’s bank accounts in the months following the murder could have indicated that they too may have been dead. “The police should have tried to probe if the accused trio had tried to contact their relatives in the months after the murder,” said Singla.
Instead, what the police did was seal the properties of Naina’s parents.
“It was a loving family. They couldn’t have killed Naina. But the police wanted us to believe she was killed by her parents and brother. We just hoped they would return one day. Now, that hope too has come to an end,” Prakash’s cousin, Jaipal Singh, said.
“The police would ask us to catch Naina’s parents and brother. They would accuse us of hiding Naina’s parents and brother. That is how callous they were in their probe. Our people were killed, but it was our family that was forced to hang heads in shame,” Singh said.
We will order a departmental enquiry. If the investigators erred, they will be punished and the course will be set right. SANKALP SAXENA, superintendent of police (Hapur)