In a shocking revelation from Mohali, the investigation into the brutal robbery and murder of a 66-year-old woman in the upscale Phase 5 area has uncovered a meticulously planned conspiracy hatched by the family's domestic help and his two first cousins. The servant, identified as Neeraj, has confessed to orchestrating the entire crime, leading to his formal arrest and a massive manhunt for his accomplices.
The Inside Job: A Servant's Betrayal
Neeraj, the domestic help employed by the family, is the central figure in this gruesome plot. During police interrogation, he admitted to planning the robbery and summoning his two cousins from Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh to execute it. On the day of the crime, the trio held a clandestine meeting at the Phase 5 market to finalise their sinister plan.
Their strategy was chillingly precise. It was decided that the two accomplices would arrive at the house after 11:30 PM and call out the name of the family's advocate. Neeraj, from inside, would then let them in. The plan went awry when the elderly victim, Ashok Kumari (66), put up a fight. The accused, in a panic, strangled her to death before fleeing the scene. Neeraj later attempted to mislead investigators by fabricating a story about being held captive by the robbers.
The CCTV Trail and Escape to Kanpur
Police pieced together the suspects' movements through extensive analysis of CCTV footage from across the city. The two robbers entered the Goyal residence at approximately 11:40 PM on the intervening night of December 29 and 30. They were seen exiting the house at around 1:26 AM.
The footage shows the duo walking from the crime scene towards Madanpura crossing. They then proceeded on foot to the Chandigarh border near the furniture market crossing, where they hired an auto-rickshaw. This auto-rickshaw took them directly to Chandigarh railway station.
Investigators confirmed that the suspects loitered at the railway station between 3:30 AM and 8:00 AM before boarding a train believed to be heading towards Kanpur. This escape route points to a pre-meditated exit strategy following the crime.
Motive, Arrest, and Ongoing Manhunt
The primary motive behind the crime was theft. The family reported that cash amounting to Rs 8.5 lakh and approximately 40 to 50 tolas of gold jewellery, stored in a bed box, were stolen. Neeraj's intimate knowledge of the house layout and the family's schedule proved crucial for the criminals.
SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans stated that Neeraj's role became suspicious during the investigation. "The servant confessed to his connivance with the robbers. He was booked for murder and criminal conspiracy and was taken on police remand," the SSP said. Neeraj was produced in court on Friday and remanded to police custody.
Multiple police teams are working round the clock to apprehend the two absconding accused, who are Neeraj's first cousins and also hail from Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh. The police are confident of their imminent arrest and the recovery of the stolen valuables. The brutal incident has sent waves of fear and disbelief through the otherwise peaceful and high-profile Phase 5 locality of Mohali.
