Uttarakhand woman, lover held for mother’s murder over property dispute
Police said the woman allegedly conspired with her lover to kill her mother over a dispute involving ancestral land in Raiwala, Uttarakhand.
In Uttarakhand's Raiwala, police have detained a 36-year-old woman and her lover in connection with the murder of her 65-year-old mother over a dispute regarding ancestral property. Superintendent of Police (Rural 1) Jaya Baluni disclosed that Khajani Devi, the deceased, resided with her granddaughter in a rented house in Motichur’s Linepar.
Khajani’s son, Sanjay Pundir, reported her disappearance to the Raiwala police station on September 22, noting that the house was locked when he broke in and found her dead in the bathroom. A case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against an unknown suspect. The investigation team, under the guidance of Dehradun senior superintendent of police Pramendra Dobhal, assembled six investigation units to collect forensic evidence and analyze CCTV footage from the crime scene and nearby routes. They also activated their informant network in Raiwala, Rishikesh, and surrounding areas.
Forensic evidence and CCTV footage revealed that Khajani had a conflict with her daughter, Shilpa Thapa, over ancestral land. Shilpa's acquaintance and partner, Shiv Narayan Pandey alias Sonu, who resided in Mumbai, was also found near Khajani’s house prior to the murder. Pandey's phone was switched off following the incident. After an extensive search involving 500 hotels and guesthouses, and the examination of footage from approximately 700 CCTV cameras, including those at bus stands and railway stations, police apprehended Pandey in Haridwar on Friday.
Shilpa had confided in Pandey about her mother and brother's attempts to sell the ancestral land without providing her an equal share. Shilpa had falsely told Pandey that Khajani was her stepmother, promising that they could start a new life elsewhere after selling the inheritance. Pandey, facing financial difficulties due to business losses and a ₹10 lakh debt, owed to creditors, allegedly strangled Khajani, locked the house, and fled, subsequently hiding at Shantikunj in Haridwar as per Shilpa’s instructions.
Shilpa was subsequently arrested from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.
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