How a sister’s resolve led police to the man who killed former constable who nurtured UPSC dreams
The purported phone calls from Monica, in which she could be heard saying that she did not want to talk to her family, after her supposed elopement did not sit right with Poornima.
4 min read
Police officials with accused Surender Rana with his two accomplices. (Express File Photo) Until two years ago, Poornima Yadav led a regular life, working as a teacher at a government school in Hyderabad where she lived with her husband. But her life upended in September 2021, when she learnt that her younger sister, Monica, had gone missing. Soon, Poornima left her well-settled life behind and moved to Noida.
In the two years that followed, Poornima travelled across five different states, changed her job, suffered a miscarriage, and ultimately separated from her husband. What remained unchanged, though, was her dogged determination to find her sister. And it was this resolve that led Poornima to a Jan Sunwai where her appeal to the Police Commissioner led to the transfer of the case to the Crime Branch and the subsequent arrest of the main accused – Constable Surendar Singh Rana, whom Monica fondly referred to as “Dadda”(father-figure).
Police said Rana killed Monica as he wanted to enter into a relationship with her and was worried that the 28-year-old would reveal his intentions to his wife.
Remembering her sister, Poornima said, “Monica was always a school and college topper, earning medals and accolades in Mathematics. She was highly educated with MA and B Ed degrees and JRF-NET qualification. She even cleared a UP Police exam but left it all behind to pursue her dream of becoming an IAS officer.”
Driving Monica’s ambition was the desire to make her father, a UP Police officer who had lost his life in the line of duty a decade ago, proud. Poornima said Monica wanted to explore the world with her mother and siblings – two elder sisters and a younger brother. The family hails from Bulandshahr in UP.
Poornima said Monica was “obsessed” with her goal and would write “IAS Mona” wherever she could – be it a notebook or a poster on the wall.
It was during her tenure in the Delhi Police, when Monica befriended Rana who often seemed to look out for her. Soon, Rana became “almost like family” to the Yadavs, said Poornima.
After Monica went missing in 2021, Rana would accompany the family to police stations and meet officers to push for a probe.
Poornima said she relocated to Delhi from Hyderabad to search for her sister but faced challenges with local authorities. She started tracking calls which led her to multiple cities in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka. Poornima was following any lead she could find, which, she said, took a toll on her health, causing a miscarriage and later, separation from her husband.
The purported phone calls from Monica, in which she could be heard saying that she did not want to talk to her family, after her supposed elopement did not sit right with Poornima.
“We would hear Monica’s voice on the calls but she sounded angry and upset. We were shocked since we were anyway looking for a groom for her and would not have said no to her choice. But Arvind (Rana’s brother-in-law and accomplice Ravin) didn’t let us talk to her… He would disconnect the call when I asked him to show my sister’s face,” said Poornima.
The family said the accused had even been withdrawing money from Monica’s account.
Monica and Poornima’s brother-in-law, who is married to their eldest sister, said, “We had lost all hope. Rana contacted us and showed us locations where the calls were made…We were always suspicious of him because we knew Monica wouldn’t sever ties with us over some boy.”
In February, during a Jan Sunwai session with the Commissioner, the family requested a fresh probe. They provided crucial evidence to the Crime Branch — CCTV footage from ATMs used by the accused to withdraw money. Police said the accused used helmets and masks inside ATM booths.
Initially, Poornima shielded Rana, believing his claims that he had last contacted Monica but hadn’t harmed her. However, when police told her that he was the main accused, Poornima said she was left shocked while her mother fainted. “We want justice now. Our Mona suffered a lot…” she said.
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