Palamu Murder After Puja: Robbers Strangled Woman, Four Arrested

Police in Palamu, Jharkhand, have arrested four people accused of murdering a woman who was robbed and strangled after returning from a Durga Puja event. The killing happened on October 20.

The prime accused is Deep Ranjan Pandey, who is also known as Chhotu and Karu. Police have also arrested Akash Shukla alias Bhulan Shukla (22), Rohit Pandey (26) and Vicky Paswan alias Vikas (25).

The 30-year-old woman was walking back from a Durga Puja pandal on the night of October 20 when she was abducted. Her body was later found in a paddy field near her residence, within the Nawabazar police station area.

A case was registered on October 21 after the woman's husband filed a complaint. According to media reports, Palamu SP Kapil Chaudhary said a SIT under the Vishrampur sub-divisional police officer was constituted to investigate the matter and arrest those involved.

The SP said the probe was conducted scientifically. After interrogation, all four accused were arrested.

It has been alleged that the accused planned to loot people returning from Durga Puja pandals on the national highway. The woman was taken to a nearby field, where her ornaments were stolen. When she recognised the accused and raised an alarm, she was assaulted and strangled to death.

During the investigation, police recovered the looted ornaments, four mobile phones, two motorcycles, the rope used in the murder, blood-stained soil and clothes.