GANGTOK, : In a swift response to a heinous
murder of an elderly woman at Andheri, near Singtam on Friday, police arrested
the accused, her grandson, within hours of its occurrence.
The
victim, aged 72, was found dead in her home on Friday afternoon with injury
marks on her body. The suspect, her 24-year-old grandson Arpan Pradhan, was
apprehended shortly after the crime was reported.
Addressing
media on Saturday, senior superintendent of police (Gangtok) Tenzing Loden
Lepcha said the Singtam police station received the initial information around
12:20 pm on Friday from the victim’s youngest daughter, who returned home
during her lunch break to discover her mother’s body.
Lepcha
said, “Singtam PS’s SHO and team reported to the spot of crime by 12:40 pm. We
formed three teams to handle different aspects of the investigation. One team
conducted a thorough examination of the crime scene under the guidelines of the
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS, 2023). Another team reviewed CCTV
footage along potential escape routes, while a third team of plainclothes
officers was deployed in Singtam.”
The
investigation quickly focused on Pradhan after evidence suggested no forced
entry, implying the involvement of someone known to the victim. It was revealed
that Pradhan had visited his grandmother’s home and left shortly before the
estimated time of the murder which occurred between 11:30 am and 12 noon.
Further
scrutiny uncovered a family dispute, and CCTV footage corroborated Pradhan’s
presence near the scene. A police team was sent to his girlfriend’s residence
in Bardang area. While the team was
returning after visiting the girlfriend’s residence, they came across the
suspect on the way. Although Pradhan initially evaded capture, he was
eventually apprehended with the assistance of the Fire and Emergency Services
team at around 4 pm.
The
police recovered the murder weapon at the crime scene and found substantial
cash on Pradhan. He was produced before the court today and has been remanded
in police custody for seven days for further interrogation.
This
case marks the first registered crime under the BNSS. The senior SP assured that all procedures and
guidelines under the BNSS Act were followed. “We are in the process of
connecting all the evidence and filing the charge sheet to ensure justice is
delivered,” Lepcha said.
A
case under section 103 of the BNSS has been registered. Further investigation
is going on.
