SRINAGAR: A couple wanted in connection with the murder of an elderly man in Uttarakhand’s Almora district has been arrested from Katra in Jammu and Kashmir following a multi-state manhunt, police said.
The accused, identified as Dharmveer Sharma, a resident of Hansi in Haryana, and his wife Jhanki Pandey, had been absconding since the alleged murder of Jhanki’s father, Chandrashekhar, on the night of June 20–21.
According to police, the case was registered at Danya Police Station under Sections 103(1), 3(5), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint alleging that the couple attacked Chandrashekhar with a sickle, leaving him critically injured. He was shifted to Haldwani for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Almora Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandrashekhar R. Ghodke said a police team led by the Circle Officer was immediately dispatched to the crime scene, while a forensic team collected scientific evidence.
Given the seriousness of the case, the police constituted three separate teams to trace the accused. Search operations were conducted across Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, during which investigators examined footage from nearly 150 CCTV cameras and checked several hotels and roadside eateries.
Police also recovered the accused’s car, bearing registration number HR 21 T 0835, from Hisar in Haryana on June 23.
The SSP said technical surveillance and other evidence later indicated that the couple was hiding in Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. Uttarakhand Police subsequently coordinated with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, leading to the arrest of both accused from the Katra police station area on Friday. They were brought back to Danya Police Station in Almora on Saturday.
Preliminary investigation, according to the SSP, suggests that Chandrashekhar had allegedly mistreated his daughter before her marriage, leading Jhanki and her husband to harbour a grudge against him. Police believe the couple planned the murder about a month in advance.
Investigators said the accused allegedly intended to sell a gold ring, a mangalsutra and a pair of earrings to finance their journey to Saili village. They allegedly reached Chandrashekhar’s residence by car on the night of June 20–21 and attacked him with a sickle before fleeing, believing he had died.
Police further said Dharmveer has a criminal history, with 12 cases previously registered against him in Haryana. Those cases are also being examined as part of the investigation.
SSP Ghodke commended the police personnel involved in the operation and announced a cash reward of Rs 2,500 for the team that tracked down the accused.
