Phagwara, April 30 — A man convicted of a previous high-profile murder and released on parole is now at the center of a suspected double homicide involving his former wife and her live-in partner.
Harvinder Singh, alias Binder, was arrested in Gujarat on April 28 and brought back to Phagwara by police, days after the couple went missing under suspicious circumstances.
Singh, who was serving a life sentence for the 2012 murders of DSP Balraj Singh Gill and Monika Kapila near Ludhiana, had been out on parole since February 25 and was due to return to prison by April 23.
The latest crime allegedly took place just days before that deadline.
“We arrested him from a roadside dhaba in Gujarat, where he was living under a false identity. His arrest followed coordinated efforts between Phagwara and Kutch police,” said Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora. Singh was brought back on a production warrant and is now under intensive interrogation.
During initial questioning, Singh confessed to abducting and killing his ex-wife Anjupal and her partner, Sanjeev Kumar, a Jalandhar-based lawyer.
According to police, the motive appears to stem from a failed extortion attempt and a complex history between Harvinder and Anjupal.
“His narrative points to a premeditated plan following a breakdown in extortion demands. The suspect claims he gave over ₹50 lakh to Anjupal while in jail—money allegedly sourced through the drug trade. When she refused to return it, he took matters into his own hands,” SSP Toora told The Tribune.
Anjupal had been living in a Phagwara apartment with Sanjeev and her teenage daughter, Palakdeep.
On April 24, Sanjeev’s father, Sudesh Lal, lodged a missing person complaint after being unable to contact his son. When police entered the apartment that same day, they found Palakdeep alone and traumatised.
In her statement, the 16-year-old recounted that three armed men had stormed the apartment around midnight on April 19–20 and abducted both adults at gunpoint.
Terrified, she remained silent and locked indoors until discovered by police.
According to investigators, Harvinder had initially plotted the abduction with the help of Anjupal herself. CCTV cameras in the building were deliberately disabled—allegedly by Anjupal—to mask the crime.
After the abduction, the couple was transported to Ludhiana, where Sanjeev reportedly refused to pay the demanded ransom of ₹1 crore.
“Initially, Anjupal was spared. But when it became clear no money would come, Harvinder allegedly strangled both victims.
He has not disclosed the location of the bodies, leaving open the possibility that they were disposed of in a canal, cremated, or hidden,” said SSP Toora.
The victims’ Hyundai i20 vehicle was later recovered from Raghunath Enclave in Ludhiana.
Three additional suspects believed to be accomplices in the crime have also been arrested, though their names remain undisclosed as investigations continue.
Harvinder’s ability to allegedly orchestrate a double murder while out on parole has ignited public outrage and renewed calls for stricter parole scrutiny.
Residents of Phagwara have expressed shock and anger, with many demanding reforms in the system that allowed a convicted murderer temporary release.
“This case has exposed critical gaps in parole monitoring. We are pursuing all angles and will not rest until justice is served,” SSP Toora assured.
“The victims’ families deserve answers, and we are determined to uncover the full truth.”
Meanwhile, multiple police teams are conducting search operations in Phagwara, Ludhiana, and nearby areas to recover the bodies and gather forensic evidence.
Read More: HC LAWYER KIDNAPPING: SUSPECT CAUGHT AT GUJARAT DHABA
