Brick kiln owner’s murder: Close to cracking case, say Ludhiana police
Victim, her son had been receiving threats over a land dispute, says son-in-law
A day after a 65-year-old woman was hacked to death outside her brick kiln in Shahpur village of Payal sub-division, the Khanna police chief claimed that they were on the verge of solving the case.
Ruing out robbery as a possible motive, Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harpreet Singh said closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and the nature of injury suggested the assailants intended to murder the victim, Rachhpal Kaur.
“We are exploring different angles, including personal enmity and property dispute. I cannot divulge details but I am sure we will crack the case in a day or two,” said the SSP. The police officer said the accused may have conducted a recce of the area before committing the crime. He also did not rule out the possibility of contract killers being hired to commit the murder. “They knew the victim was present at the brick kiln that evening,” said the SSP.
The victim’s son Vishweshver Pal Singh is an advocate while her daughter Taranbir Kaur and son-in-law Simarjit Singh are doctors.
Rachpal Kaur was killed while she was standing outside her brick kiln around 7pm on Monday evening.
The bike-borne assailants pulled out a dagger and attacked her neck. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.
Dr Simarjit Singh said the death of his father-in-law Sukhdev Singh, who was killed in a road accident on 2017, was also shrouded in mystery. He alleged that the crime was related to a dispute over an acre of land where the brick kiln stood. He added that for the past month his brother-in-law and mother-in-law had been receiving threats.