UP woman strangled, stuffed in suitcase: Husband knew of murder plot, aided cover-up; six in-laws held | Ghaziabad News
GHAZIABAD: The husband of a 25-year-old woman whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase on a roadside in Loni border area on June 10 knew about the murder conspiracy, police said. Sagar of Delhi’s Karawal Nagar,was arrested along with his mother Vimlesh and sister Shivani in connection with the murder of his wife Kavita on Friday. Earlier, cops arrested his two brothers and father for strangling the woman to death and disposing of her body in a suitcase. The accused had told cops that they did not tell Sagar, who works at a furnace unit in Baghpat and was away at the time, about the murder. Sagar, who visited home only once every two weeks due to his work schedule, had played along.He claimed his father and brothers had told him that Kavita had stormed off after a domestic dispute and likely returned to her native village. On Friday, cops said Sagar was in regular contact with his family members before and after the crime. “Sagar was aware of the conspiracy to kill his wife. Though he initially claimed ignorance, evidence pointed to his active communication with the family before and after the murder,” ACP Loni border Ajay Kumar Singh said. “He only admitted to knowing once confronted with call records and witness statements.”Kavita’s body was found on June 10 by some labourers on the Behta Hajipur road. She had been strangled with a scarf and stuffed into a green suitcase, her legs twisted to fit. Cops recovered a scarf, blanket and bedsheet that were used to secure the suitcase. After autopsy confirmed death by strangulation, an FIR was filed. Police launched an intensive investigation, scanning more than 1,000 CCTV feeds and issuing alerts across Delhi and UP. Within 48 hours, they identified Kavita and traced her last known location to Karawal Nagar.Three men — Kavita’s father-in-law Harveer Singh, and brothers-in-law Sumit and Guddu — were arrested on Thursday for murder. Investigators later added criminal conspiracy charges after more family members were implicated. By Friday, Sagar, Vimlesh, and Shivani were also in custody, while his brother, Karan, remains absconding.Police said tensions within the household had escalated in recent months. Kavita had a love marriage with Sagar but frequently bickered with her in-laws. In her statement, Vimlesh claimed the family “wanted to get rid of her” after repeated arguments.On June 9, Sumit allegedly attacked Kavita during an argument, strangled her with a scarf, and suffocated her further with a bedsheet. Harveer held her legs while Sumit choked her until she died. Shivani then arranged for a motorcycle, and the body was transported in a suitcase by Harveer and Guddu. Karan was present at home when Kavita was killed. After disposing of the body, they informed Sagar and Vimlesh, who had been working at a brick kiln in Baghpat. “Everyone was in touch,” said ACP Singh. “This was a premeditated family crime.”
