Haryana man arrested for killing woman friend in Manali; body was stuffed in a bag
A man was recently arrested for allegedly killing his woman acquaintance and attempting to conceal the body by stuffing it into a bag at a hotel in Manali.
The suspect was identified as Vinod Kumar, 23, a resident of Palwal district in Haryana. The victim was a 25-year-old woman from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The police said the suspect used to work as a delivery boy in Palwal. According to them, the accused killed the victim after strangling her following a verbal altercation in their room at Hotel KD Villa in Manali on Tuesday night.
The police have not ruled out the possibility of sexual assault on the victim. Sources stated that initial investigation suggested Kumar and the woman had been in contact online for about three years and had previously visited Manali together.
A source said, “The two checked into Hotel KD Villa on May 13, presenting themselves as a couple. The following day, they left for Sissu Valley and returned on Tuesday night. Yesterday (Wednesday), around 7 pm, the suspect, Vinod Kumar, went to the reception to check out. When asked about his ‘wife’ by the receptionist, he claimed she had gone to Leh. The suspect then returned to his room and retrieved a large bag. When questioned about the bag, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. Later, he called a taxi to take him to the local bus stand. The taxi driver became suspicious upon seeing the heavy bag, which did not fit in the taxi’s boot. The suspect was unable to lift it, and the driver instructed him to place it on the car’s roof.
“Meanwhile, the hotel receptionist also emerged, and both the taxi driver and the receptionist insisted on inspecting the bag. Fearing discovery, the suspect fled the scene. Subsequently, a body was discovered in the bag, prompting a call to the police.”
Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Karthikeyan Gokulachandran told THE CHANDIGARH MEDIA, “Suspect Vinod was arrested Wednesday night and is currently in police custody. During the initial interrogation, he confessed to killing the victim. The suspect and the victim were acquainted for some time. We have informed the victim’s family members, who will be arriving from Bhopal to Manali on Thursday evening. The couple was staying in room number 302 at Hotel KD Villa.”
A case of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Manali police station.