Himani Narwal murder case: Rohtak police arrest 1, say victim knew suspect

“We shall be divulging details in a few hours. We are in the process of interrogating the accused to ascertain the involvement of anybody else in the crime. The accused shall also be produced in the court today. Preliminary interrogation has revealed that the accused was known to the victim,” one of the investigating police officers said.

Rajneesh Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, who heads the SIT, said the suitcase in which the body was found belongs to the victim’s family. “We are investigating all angles. We have found certain clues but cannot reveal them at this stage. We are also taking help from cyber and forensic experts, and examining CCTV camera footage,” said Kumar.

Narendra Bijarniya, Superintendent of Police, Rohtak, formed the Special Investigation Team Saturday. Bijarniya said Sunday apart from the Crime Branch, multiple police teams are investigating the case

Family demands justice

A Youth Congress worker, Himani lived at her ancestral house in Rohtak’s Vijay Nagar and had been missing for three days before her body was found. Himani, who was pursuing a course from Rohtak’s Vaish College of Law, walked with Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Haryana leg.

Himani’s brother Jatin said the family was informed about the murder Saturday afternoon.

The postmortem examination was conducted by a board of doctors at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences or PGIMS, Rohtak. While the autopsy report is awaited, her body has been kept at the mortuary after the family refused to collect it.

On Sunday, her mother Savita Rani also refused to cremate her daughter’s body until her killers were arrested. Savita Rani said she was with Himani until noon on February 27 before leaving for Delhi where she lives with Jatin. She also said they were in contact with her till the evening of February 28.

“She last also told me that she was supposed to attend a Congress’s roadshow in the Kathmandi area on February 28, but later her phone was switched off,” she said, adding her daughter was “thinking about quitting Congress”.

Talking to media persons outside the PGIMS mortuary, Rani alleged that some leaders in Congress envied her political rise in a short span. “An enmity was building up because of her political growth. My daughter was very close to the Hooda family,” she said. “My elder son (Kuldeep) was killed in 2011 but we did not get justice in that case too,” she added.

Political row

Latching on to her comment, Haryana Minister and BJP leader Anil Vij said the allegations levelled by Himani’s mother are “serious”. “To move ahead, push others behind… this is Congress’ old culture,” Vij told reporters in Ambala when asked about the murder.

Vij also said police are conducting a thorough probe into the murder case.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded speedy justice for the victim’s family.

Speaking about the family’s allegations that some leaders in Congress envied her political rise, Hooda said, “A culprit is a culprit, whether he is in the party or anyone else. The culprit should be identified and punished as per law. The Congress party stands with Himani’s family in this hour of grief”.

Hooda told reporters that increasing crime in Haryana remains a matter of serious concern. Hitting out at the BJP government, he said, “Recently, a BSP leader was murdered in Naraingarh, the hometown of the chief minister. Last year, the INLD state chief was killed in Bahadurgarh and a JJP leader was murdered in Hansi. Earlier, more than six MLAs in the state received extortion threats,” Hooda said.

B B Batra, the party’s MLA from Rohtak, said that Himani was a “very good and active” Congress worker. “Those who have committed the crime should be severely punished,” Batra said.

Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Hooda said the murder once again exposed the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. “We demand exemplary punishment to whoever is guilty in the case,” Deepender said.