The body of Himani Narwal was found inside a suitcase near a highway in Rohtak on March 1. Meanwhile, the police have formed a Special Investigation Task Force to probe the murder case.
Haryana Police have arrested a key suspect in connection with the murder of Congress worker Himani Narwal, whose body was found inside a suitcase near the Sampla bus stand on the Rohtak-Delhi highway on March 1. This comes a day after the Haryana Police on Sunday set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder.
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA-2) team arrested the suspect, identified as Sachin, from Delhi. Sachin is a resident of Bahadurgarh and is believed to be directly linked to the gruesome crime, police said.
The family of Narwal had refused to cremate her body until her killers are arrested. They also alleged that some leaders in the Congress party envied her political rise in a short span. Narwal, who was in her late 20s, lived at Vijay Nagar in Rohtak. Her body, which was found in a suitcase in Rohtak district on Saturday, bore some injury marks, police said.
A postmortem of the body was conducted by a board of doctors in Rohtak, the official said. Haryana Congress leaders described Narwal as an active and dedicated party worker, who also took part in Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ earlier. They said she was pursuing a law degree and had been associated with the party for nearly a decade.
What did deceased’s mother say?
The deceased worker’s mother made some shocking allegations. The mother, Savita, held the election and the party responsible for her daughter’s death, suggesting that Himani’s rising stature in the party had created enemies for her. According to Savita, Himani’s mother, her daughter was at home on February 28 and had been receiving threats. Savita believes that Himani’s close relationships with prominent Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and the Hooda family, had sparked jealousy among some individuals.
“The election and the party took my daughter’s life. Because of this, she made some enemies. These (the culprits) could be from the party, could be her friends as well…On February 28, she was at home,” Savita said. “We received a phone call from the Police Station (regarding the incident). My daughter was very close to Asha Hooda (wife of Bhupinder Singh Hooda). I won’t perform her last rites until she gets justice…,” she added.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda calls for speedy justice
On Sunday, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said he spoke to Rohtak’s superintendent of police regarding the murder case, adding that police and the government should ensure speedy justice for the victim’s family. According to a statement, Hooda spoke to the victim’s family and offered his condolences. He said he and the entire Congress party will fight for justice for the victim.
“The culprit should be identified and punished as per law. The Congress party stands with Himani’s family in this hour of grief,” Hooda said. Congress leader and party MLA from Rohtak BB Batra said Narwal was a “very good and active” worker of the party. She used to participate in various programmes of the party, Batra added.
(With PTI inputs)