Gurugram: 77-year-old murdered another man before killing wife
What's the story
In a new twist to an already bizarre murder case, it has been found that 77-year-old Harnek Singh Dhillon, prior to murdering his 74-year-old wife, had committed another murder at his house in Gurugram's DLF Phase 2.
Before getting arrested on Wednesday, Dhillon had tried to hide the first murder, and pass off his wife's murder as suicide.
Here's more.
Disappearance
The entire episode began with a disappearance
It all began on October 14, when the husband of one Manjeet Kaur, a long-time acquaintance of the Dhillons, went missing.
Subsequently, Manjeet visited the Dhillon residence to search for her husband, 51-year-old Jaskaran, but nothing was to be found.
She returned on October 16 with a police team, and still, there were no suspicious signs suggesting foul play.
Hospitalization
On October 20, Harnek Singh Dhillon was hospitalized
Fast forward to October 20.
Harnek Singh Dhillon gets admitted to a hospital after police find him bleeding from a slit wrist next to his dead wife, 74-year-old Gurmel, who is found lying dead in a blood-soaked bed with her throat slit.
As Dhillon starts to recover under medical attention, police begin putting together the pieces of the puzzle.
Investigation
Investigations reveal incriminating details
First, Gurmel's body is sent for post-mortem, and the report, released on Monday, reveals that she had been murdered.
Meanwhile, investigations into Jaskaran's disappearance also start bearing fruit - CCTV footage shows Jaskaran entering the Dhillon residence on October 14. He never comes out.
Understandably, police start suspecting foul play, with 77-year-old Dhillon as the prime suspect.
Explanation
A sinister series of events unfolds
Subsequent piecing together of seemingly dissociated pieces of the puzzle reveals a sinister series of events.
It is found that Jaskaran, a former mill-owner, had visited the Dhillon residence on October 14, and an altercation had reportedly broken out between Harnek and Jaskaran over an alleged financial dispute involving Rs. 40 lakh.
Since Jaskaran never comes out of the house, police suspect murder.
Murder
Police conclude that Dhillon is responsible for two murders
According to police, Dhillon murders Jaskaran, and disposes of the body with the help of an unknown accomplice. Gurmel was not home at the time of the murder.
Subsequently, Dhillon, fearing detection, enters into a 'suicide pact' with Gurmel on October 19, a pact from which Gurmel later withdraws.
Left with no option, Dhillon murders Gurmel, slits his own wrist, and calls up relatives, who inform the police.
Dhillon is then rushed to the hospital.
Arrest
Dhillon will be charged with two murders
With evidence pointing towards Dhillon's hand in both murders, police arrested him on Wednesday.
In addition to his wife's murder, Dhillon will now be charged with Jaskaran's murder too, and will be questioned by the police on the whereabouts of Jaskaran's body, which is believed to have been chopped into pieces for easy disposal.
Dhillon will also be questioned about the suspected accomplice in Jaskaran's murder.