After more than a decade of terrorizing Chandigarh's streets, a serial predator has finally been brought to justice. The district and sessions court on Thursday convicted 38-year-old Monu from Shahpur Colony for the brutal rape and murder of a 22-year-old MBA student that had remained unsolved for 14 long years.
The verdict marks a significant breakthrough in one of Chandigarh's most chilling crime sagas, bringing closure to a case that had haunted the city since July 2010.
The Beginning of a Nightmare
The horror began in July 2010 when a 22-year-old MBA student was brutally raped and murdered in Sector 38 West. For years, the case remained cold, with investigators hitting dead ends despite extensive efforts. The victim's parents attended court proceedings, their silent presence speaking volumes about the grief they had carried for over a decade.
The pattern of violence continued with two more similar crimes that initially appeared unrelated. In 2022, a 40-year-old vegetable vendor was slain in Maloya, followed by the murder of a 55-year-old woman in Sector 54 in February 2024.
The DNA Breakthrough
The investigation took a dramatic turn in 2023 when a DNA report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) revealed a shocking connection: the same man was responsible for all three crimes.
SSP Kanwardeep Kaur formed a special investigation team that interrogated 500 suspects linked to the MBA student's case and 300 individuals with criminal backgrounds connected to the Maloya murder. Police narrowed their search to men aged 35-40 with height between 5'6" and 5'10".
Monu's arrest in May last year came after his DNA sample matched evidence from the crime scenes. During interrogation, he confessed to the 2010 killing, finally breaking his silence about the horrific crime.
A Cunning Criminal Mastermind
Investigators described Monu as a calculated operator who deliberately stayed off the grid. He never applied for Aadhaar, avoided using phones during his crimes, and maintained a low profile to evade detection.
Monu worked as a vegetable seller in Maloya and was driving a cab when police finally apprehended him. Shockingly, he knew one of his victims personally, adding another layer of horror to the crimes.
The details of his final crime in February 2024 reveal his ruthless methods. Monu lured a 55-year-old woman to a forest in Sector 54, where he smashed her head with a stone, strangled her, and attempted to rape her before fleeing while intoxicated. He later disposed of his blood-stained clothes in Dhanas forest, which police recovered based on his disclosure.
The quantum of punishment will be announced on Friday, bringing this long legal battle to its final chapter. As one police official noted, "He thought he could outsmart the system. But science and persistence nailed him."
