Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Sep: Police have cracked the murder case of a 72-year-old woman in Raipur police station area in Dehradun within 12 hours. The police have arrested the family’s long-time helper who has reportedly confessed to the crime. The accused, identified as Vineet Kumar of Uttarkashi, had been associated with the Bansal family for nearly 15 years, working as a helper at their book shop on Dispensary Road and as a night guard at a guest house. He admitted that a dispute over Rs 18,000 in unpaid wages had led him to attack the victim, Rekha Bansal, at her residence.
Yesterday, Rekha Bansal’s husband Dinesh Bansal had informed the 112 control room that his wife was lying unconscious at home with injuries on her face. Police rushed to the spot and the 108 Ambulance team declared her dead. SSP, Dehradun, Pramendra Dobal also reached the site, supervised the investigation and directed the FSL team to collect evidence. A case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Raipur police station.
The police teams examined CCTV footage from the locality, activated surveillance and deployed informers. Suspicion fell on Vineet Kumar, who was later arrested near Trilok Guest House on Ring Road. During the interrogation, he revealed that he had gone to the Bansal residence on the day of the incident using their scooter and entered through the rear door, which he knew was open. Finding Rekha Bansal alone, he demanded his pending wages. When she refused, he struck her face with the metal bangle he was wearing. As she cried out, he pressed her mouth and nose to silence her, leading to her death. He then removed a gold bangle from her hand and fled.
On his disclosure, police have recovered the looted gold bangle, the metal bangle used in the assault and also the murderer’s mobile phone. Kumar has been booked under Sections 103(1), 309(4) and 117(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). SSP Dobal confirmed the recovery and arrest. In recognition of the swift investigation, IG Garhwal Range announced a cash reward of Rs 5,000 for the police team, while SSP Dehradun declared Rs 2,500.
