Bathinda/Moga, Feb 14: The Bathinda police on Friday apprehended a 35-year-old man in connection with the killing of a woman whose semi-burnt remains were discovered stuffed in a suitcase earlier this week. The suspect, identified as Prince Kumar, allegedly murdered his friend Sapna, also known as Malika, at his residence in the Surkhpeer area before attempting to dispose of the body.
Investigators revealed that the crime occurred in the early hours of February 9. Following the fatal stabbing, the accused reportedly kept the corpse inside his home for two days. After a failed attempt to burn the remains, he allegedly packed the body into a suitcase and dumped it in a field near Behman Diwana village along the Bathinda-Fazilka national highway.
Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Jyoti Yadav Bains described the motive as a “crime of passion.” The SSP noted that the accused was living alone and acted without accomplices.
“The suspect got a photograph of himself with the victim tattooed on his chest after the murder,” SSP Bains said.
The breakthrough in the case followed the analysis of CCTV footage from Parasram Nagar, which showed the victim with Kumar on February 7. Police also relied on technical surveillance and phone records, questioning 15 individuals before identifying the suspect.
The victim, a native of Baghapurana in Moga district, had been living independently in Bathinda. Authorities mentioned that she had previously married against her family’s wishes and was not residing with her husband or the accused at the time of the incident.
“The investigation has led to the recovery of the suitcase, the knife used in the crime, and the vehicle used to transport the body,” the SSP added.
