Man held for wife’s murder, body found burned in courtyard

Yog Raj Sharma

The North News

Shimla, May 15

A man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife and attempting to destroy evidence by burning her body in a pit dug in their courtyard in Ghanperi village, under the Shoghi police post near Shimla. The victim, identified as 26-year-old Gulshan, was discovered after neighbours grew suspicious and alerted her family. Upon arriving at the residence, relatives found a freshly dug pit containing Gulshan’s half-burnt remains. Police were immediately informed. The accused, Tota Ram, who works as a private security guard, was taken into custody at the scene. A police forensic team later arrived to collect evidence and send the remains for post-mortem examination. The Police  say the accused attempted to conceal the crime by using paint and wood to set the body on fire, likely to obscure the identity of the deceased. Early findings indicate that the murder took place inside the couple’s home before the body was moved to the courtyard.

Gulshan and Tota Ram were married in 2020 and have a four-year-old son, who is now in the care of relatives. Police  say a case has been registered and the investigation is ongoing to determine the motive and sequence of events leading up to the crime.