Senior advocate’s wife found murdered in Mohali; robbery suspected, help detained

Mohali police and forensic team investigate a scene in Phase 5, Mohali. (Express Photo: Jasbir Malhi)

The wife of a former additional advocate general of Punjab was Tuesday found murdered at their residence in Mohali. Police suspected the crime was committed with the intention of robbery and detained the help working with the family for the past 12 years.

The crime came to light on Tuesday morning when the couple’s maid arrived for work and got no response despite knocking repeatedly. She alerted neighbours, who informed the police. When the police broke open the door, the victim, Ashok Kumari, 66, was found dead inside while the help, Neeraj, 25, was found tied up. The milkman, who supplies milk to the house, stated that Kumari had told him a day earlier not to deliver milk the next day.

The victim’s husband, senior advocate Krishna Kumar Goyal, a former Additional Advocate General, was in Muscat, visiting their elder daughter, a doctor based there. The couple’s younger daughter lives in India. He is expected to arrive at the Delhi airport on Wednesday morning.

According to the police, initial findings suggest that the crime was committed with the intention of robbery. CCTV footage from neighbouring houses shows two masked men entering the house around 11.40 pm on Monday. Nearly 45 minutes later, the same suspects are seen leaving the premises on foot, carrying a bag. Investigators believe the assailants first tied up the domestic help present in the house and then strangled Kumari to death before fleeing with cash and jewellery.

The police said Neeraj claimed that the robbers hit his head against the wall and tied him up, but no visible injury marks were found on his head.

Mohali SP (City) Dilpreet Singh said, “At present, the role of the domestic help appears highly suspicious and he is being questioned. The exact amount of cash, gold or other valuables stolen will be known only after the family arrives. The house was found ransacked.”

The police registered a case of murder against unidentified persons and sent the body to the Civil Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.