Panchkula horror: Four daughters of murdered woman under scanner
According to our probe, it primarily seems to be a property matter. We are questioning all family members.
NAVEEN KUMAR, Chandimandir SHO Involvement of someone known to the family is suspected as there was no sign of forced entry or robbery.
AMAN KUMAR, CIA in-charge
day after bullet-ridden bodies of a 68-year-old woman and her three grandchildren were found at their house in Khatauli village in Panchkula, police while focusing on property angle are probing the role of their relatives, especially the woman’s four daughters who are married and settled at different places.
Bodies of Rajbala, her granddaughter Aishwariya, aka Ginni, 18, and grandsons Divyanshu, aka Vishal, 16, and Aayush, 12, were found in two separate rooms in the house on Saturday morning. Aishwariya studied at the government college in Raipur Rani while her brothers were in Classes 10 and 6.
Six teams, including the crime investigation agency (CIA) of the Panchkula police, are probing the case, said inspector Naveen Kumar, station house officer at Chandimandir where the murder case has been registered. Officials privy to the investigation said they are questioning Rajbala’s relatives while working on different theories, property angle being the main.
“After our initial investigation, robbery has been ruled out as the motive. We are probing the property angle as the woman owned properties worth crores,” said Kumar.
According to people close to the family, Rajbala owned 60 acres land and recently received a huge compensation for acquisition of her property in and around Panchkula. Sources said the family also has ancestral links with Ramgarh’s royal Chandel family.
‘SOMEONE CLOSE TO FAMILY’
Involvement of someone known to the family is suspected as there was no sign of forced entry and a pet dog was found chained when the bodies were recovered, said inspector Aman Kumar, CIA in-charge.
Another cop, who is part of the investigating team, said: “Rajbala’s four daughters – Lovely, Bunty, Anjana, Manju — and their husbands are prime suspects according to our initial probe. Beside them, the mother of the deceased children is also under the scanner. She has not been traced since 2016, when she went missing from the house in mysterious circumstances.”
Lovely often used to stay at Rajbala’s house and had left the place with her son Vijay to go to their house in Ambala on Friday evening.
On Sunday, police reportedly questioned Vijay and three other people. According to sources, the last call received on Rajbala’s number was of her chartered accountant (CA). “The CA was questioned besides two of her son-in-laws,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.
DAUGHTER TO BE QUIZZED NEXT
The Chandimandir SHO said Lovely will also be questioned besides other family members.
Rajbala’s son and father of the murdered children, Upender Singh Rajput, had committed suicide in 2008, but speculations run rife that he was killed. The sole survivor in the family is 13-yearold Shelly, third of the four grandchildren, who lives with Manju in Baltana near Zirakpur.
The incident came to light when a neighbour suspected something wrong around 7:30am after their was no response from the house. The side gate of the house, which often remained bolted, was open while the main gate was closed. He then alerted Rajbala’s brother Suresh Pal, who on reaching there found the bodies lying in a pool of blood inside the house.
Police recovered nine cartridges from the spot. The victims were shot at from close range.
“I am not in a state to suspect anything or anyone right now,” said Suresh Pal, who had last met her sister at dinner on Friday. “She did not have enmity with anyone.” All victims were cremated on Sunday.