Best Lawyers in Chandigarh 2 drug addicts held for elderly couple’s murder

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, August 2

The case in which an elderly couple was burnt to death in their house two days ago in Faridkot and the incident was being assumed to be a case of short circuit, has turned out to be a brutal murder by two drug addicts.The police have arrested two youths for killing 84-year-old Surjit Singh, a retired schoolteacher, and his 81-year-old wife Baldev Kaur. The couple was living separately from their four children.

Probes have revealed that Surjit Singh and his wife were killed by two youths of their locality — Mandeep Singh and Manpreet Singh. Living in their neighbourhood, both drug addict youths were frequent visitors to the elderly couple and had all information about them.

On the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, the accused made an entry into the house from the backdoor. First Baldev Kaur was strangled to death, followed by Surjit Singh. To camouflage the murders, the accused set the bodies and the house on fire before decamping with Rs 60,000 cash and jewellery.

On Thursday morning, the fire was noticed by neighbours after the windowpanes of the house started cracking. The police believes it to be a case of short circuit. However, Rajinder Mann, US-based younger son of the deceased, who had returned from the US some days ago to meet his relatives, alleged that his parents were strangled to death before setting them on fire.

A missing mobile phone from the house strengthened Rajinder’s allegations of murder. Working on various tip-offs, the police zeroed in on the two youths.

On questioning they confessed to the crime, said Rajbachan Singh Sandhu, SSP, Faridkot. The police recovered the phone and Rs 10,000 from the accused.

“Elderly people living in gated communities stand isolated to some extent, but those living in individual houses, especially in far-flung areas or upcoming suburbs, are increasingly becoming vulnerable targets as it happened in the present case,” said the SSP.

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