A man who murdered his wife over a property dispute and went into hiding with several lakh rupees in cash has been arrested, Delhi Police said on Monday.
Following a multi-state search operation by the Shahdara district police, the accused, Kamal Singh, was arrested near Mathura railway station.
During questioning, he told investigators that after watching the English series “The Storkease,” he believed he could evade the police if he disposed of the weapon used in the murder.
In this regard, police officials said: The murder came to light after the couple’s son, who arrived at their home in Gagan Vihar, Shahdara, on the night of July 30, found his mother, Komal Singh, lying in a pool of blood.
A bloodstained pair of scissors, suspected to have been used in the crime, was recovered from a bag in the house.
However, CCTV footage proved to be a crucial clue in solving the case. The footage confirmed that after the couple’s two children left the house in the morning, only Kamal Singh and his wife Komal Singh were inside.
Police also obtained footage showing Kamal Singh leaving the house with the scissors used in the murder hidden in a bag, along with the sound of Komal Singh’s screams.
Investigations revealed that before going into hiding, Kamal Singh had withdrawn about Rs. 7 lakh from his bank accounts. Through technical surveillance, his journey from Delhi toward Gorakhpur was tracked.
He had planned to escape from there to Nepal, but in an attempt to mislead the police, he suddenly changed his route and headed toward Mathura.
He was reportedly detained near Mathura railway station, and Rs. 12.75 lakh in cash, along with a scooter believed to have been used to flee after the murder, was recovered from him.
During questioning, Singh admitted that he had premeditated the murder because of a long-standing dispute over family property, and that he had bought the scissors several days before the killing.
He also admitted that after watching the crime series ‘The Staircase’, he had planned to dispose of the weapon used in the murder, believing that doing so would obstruct the investigation.
However, scientific investigation, analysis of CCTV camera footage, and technical surveillance thwarted the escape strategy he had planned very carefully.
Police officials said that investigations, including forensic examination and the detection of additional materials, are currently under way.