A 33-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly murdering a 72-year-old woman at her home in Dehradun’s Raipur area following a dispute over unpaid wages, police said, adding that he fled with her gold bangle after the killing.
During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed details of the incident, following which police recovered a bangle allegedly taken from Rekha Bansal, the metal bangle he was wearing at the time of the incident and allegedly used to assault her, and his mobile phone. Specialised police teams examined CCTV footage from roads and routes around the crime scene and conducted surveillance. Police also activated their informant network, which helped investigators identify Vineet as the alleged perpetrator. On the day of the incident, he allegedly took Bansal’s scooty from the bookshop to his residence. Knowing that the rear door of the house was usually unlocked, he allegedly parked the scooty outside the gate and entered the premises. The deceased was alone at home.
He also worked as a helper at Anuj Prakashan, a bookshop owned by Bansal on Dispensary Road, and had known Bansal for around 15 years, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dehradun Pramendra Dobhal said the case was solved within 12 hours and the stolen gold bangle was recovered from the accused.
Police arrested Vineet near Trilok Guest House on Ring Road, the SSP said.
He had been working as a night security guard at Trilokesh Guest House on Jogiwala Ring Road through BJ Security Services for two years. The suspect, Vineet Kumar, originally from Uttarkashi district, had been living with his family in a rented house in Dehradun’s Ajabpur Kalan for around 10 years.
A Forensic Science Laboratory team was called to the spot to collect evidence and conduct photography and videography. Based on a complaint filed by the husband, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder.
