Hotel operator, 3 accomplicesarrested for woman’s ‘murder’

Meerut: Police in Mawana on Thursday claimed to have reached a breakthrough in the murder case involving a 36-year-old woman, whose body was found in a mustard field near Meerut-Bijnor highway on Feb 21. Following the discovery of the body, which was disfigured with acid to prevent identification, a specialised team analysed over 500 CCTV feeds and conducted raids that eventually led to the arrest of four men, including a hotel owner.Investigations revealed that a heated, alcohol-fuelled dispute regarding hotel financial transactions took place between the victim and the hotel operator, Chanchal Kumar. The accused later conspired to kill her after the woman allegedly threatened the group with a "fake rape case"."In the early hours of Thursday, police apprehended Chanchal along with Gurmukh, Sandeep, and Vivek. Cops also seized a car, a blanket used for suffocating the victim and an empty acid bottle. An FIR was registered against the accused under BNS sections 103 (1) (murder) and 238 (destruction of evidence). The woman, a resident of Ambala, was friendly with the accused and often used to visit their hotel," said SP (rural) Abhijeet Kumar.