SRINAGAR: In a chilling incident of its kind, a retired principal and his wife were found dead under mysterious circumstances at their residence in Manorama Lane, Talab Tillo, late Saturday evening.
The deceased, identified as Sanjay Kumar Chandel, a former Principal of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), and his wife Veena Devi, were discovered at around 5:30 PM by a visiting relative, who immediately alerted the police. The discovery has raised serious concerns, with authorities suspecting foul play, though investigations are still ongoing.
Upon receiving the distress call, a police team led by senior officials, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) concerned, SDPO Domana, and SHO Domana, swiftly arrived at the scene. Forensic experts from the FSL unit and a sniffer dog squad were also deployed to assist in the investigation. The bodies were subsequently taken into custody for a post-mortem examination, which authorities hope will provide crucial insights into the cause of death.
Speaking to the press, SSP Jammu, Joginder Singh, stated, “A police team led by senior officers and a forensic unit is actively investigating the case with the help of sniffer dogs. While the exact cause of death is not yet clear, our teams are diligently working to uncover the truth.”
When asked about potential motives, SSP Singh urged caution, emphasising that the investigation was in its early stages: “It’s too soon to speculate on the cause or motive at this point.”
According to relatives of the deceased, Chandel’s body was found lying on the bed with
a visible mark around his throat, while his wife’s body was discovered on the floor nearby. Several household items were reportedly scattered around the room, indicating signs of a possible struggle. In a further startling detail, the relative also mentioned that they noticed the pipe from the couple’s domestic LPG cylinder had been disconnected, though the significance of this finding is yet to be determined by authorities.
The couple, who had been living alone at their residence, have two daughters—one currently residing in London, the other in Shimla. Both daughters were reportedly outside Jammu and Kashmir at the time of the incident, making the circumstances surrounding the deaths even more distressing for the family.
Although the initial investigation points towards a potential case of murder, police have initiated formal inquest proceedings to further investigate the matter. The local community remains in shock as they await updates on the findings of the police investigation.
