It was the WhatsApp profile picture of prime accused Khem Singh, alias Shenty, along with Neetu Dogra, wife of Mohammad Aleen, which had triggered a crack in the understanding between Khem Singh and Aleen a few days back prior to the victim’s kidnapping and murder, said the police on Saturday. Another accused, Jagdev Singh, alias Gaagi, was arrested from ISBT 17 for the murder. Two other accused are yet to be arrested. A police officer, monitoring the murder investigation, said, “Neetu had married Aleen in 2013 but later she was in a relationship with Khem Singh in Ludhiana for around three years. Recently, she left Khem Singh and shifted to her husband, Aleen. And, Khem Singh had put a picture of himself with Neetu on his WhatsApp profile, triggering outrage from the couple. Khem Singh and Aleen, who knew each other, were engaged in a heated argument on the phone as Neetu also raised strong objection over the profile picture. It was then that a furious Khem Singh decided to eliminate Aleen. Besides, a portion of the cost of Neetu’s house at Jhujar Nagar in Mohali, where she was residing with Aleen, had been paid by Khem Singh when Neetu was staying with him in Ludhiana in 2015. The accused Khem Singh is married and a father of two children.” The police officer added, “Khem Singh was also under pressure from his wife and in-laws to leave Neetu. His wife and in-laws even came to Jhujar Nagar from Ludhiana and quarrelled with Neetu. Khem Singh had also visited Aleen at his shop in Sector 48 with Neetu about a month ago.” “My brother came in contact with Neetu at Burail in Sector 45. We used to stay in Burail earlier and Neetu was also staying there. The two came in contact with each other. Later, we shifted to Baltana and she went to Ludhiana. But, my brother did not marry her. She is the main conspirator in my brother’s murder. But the police are saying that there is no evidence against her. We are taking Aleen’s body to our native place in Bijnore district, UP, for the last rites. My brother and I used to work at the Motor Market in Sector 48. On April 11, Aleen left the shop after getting a call from Neetu, who told him to bring flour. We have learned that Neetu had checked the location of Aleen twice when he called her. It indicates that she was conveying the locations of my brother to the assailants, who kidnapped my brother near Jira Mandi, Maloya, and murdered him,” said Aleen’s brother Mohammad Wasim. Inspector Pardeep Sharma, SHO of Maloya PS, said, “Yes, there had been arguments between Khem Singh and Aleen over the WhatsApp picture. And though we have not found any evidence against Neetu, she has not been given a clean chit yet.” Police sources said the Innova, in which Aleen was kidnapped and murdered, is registered in the name of one Jasbir Singh, the elder brother of Khem Singh. But Jasbir was not involved in the murder. Incidentally, Sukha, another brother of Khem Singh, who was involved in the crime, is yet to be arrested.
