‘Won’t cremate until culprits held’: Mother after Congress woman worker’s body found stuffed in suitcase in Rohtak
A suitcase was spotted lying on the highway near a flyover next to Sampla bus stand in Haryana’s Rohtak district on Saturday. Police reached the spot and opened the suitcase only to find a woman’s body stuffed inside. Now, the Haryana Police has formed multiple teams to solve the murder mystery.
Himani Narwal — a Youth Congress worker from Rohtak, who had also participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Haryana leg and was an active party worker — was likely assaulted before being strangled to death, police said after preliminary investigation. The autopsy was conducted in Rohtak’s PGIMS, and the report is awaited.
Recalling that the 22-year-old had told her last Thursday (February 27) she was going to attend a friend’s wedding in Rohtak, her mother Savita said: “She last also told me that she was supposed to attend a Congress’s roadshow in Kathmandi area on February 28. Her cellphone has been switched off since then.”
Himani — who was residing in her ancestral house in Rohtak’s Vijaynagar for the past five months — had been missing for three days, police said, adding that they are trying to find her missing cellphone and trace her location and movement for the last few days.
Further claiming that “Himani was thinking of quitting Congress”, Savita told mediapersons outside the PGIMS mortuary on Sunday: “There were several people within the party who were unhappy with her success… I will not perform the last rites of my daughter until police arrest those responsible for her death.”
Himani’s elder brother (name not mentioned) was also allegedly murdered in 2011, and father Sher Singh committed suicide many years ago, Savita said. Himani is survived by her mother, and brother Jatin (a resident of New Delhi).
Postmortem examination to be videographed: Police
Rohtak superintendent of police Narendra Bijarniya said: “The Rohtak Crime Branch is investigating the case, along with multiple teams of the Rohtak Police. A board of doctors has been constituted for the postmortem examination, which will be videographed.”
Inspector Bijendra Singh, SHO of Sampla police station, said: “We are analysing CCTV footage from the 25-km stretch on National Highway 9, from Rohtak City to Rohad toll plaza. CCTV footage from hotels and dhabas along the stretch are also being checked.”
Further investigation is underway, police said.
Shoddy law, order situation: Congress slams state BJP govt
Hitting out at the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government in Haryana, former Haryana chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said: “It is another example of the shoddy law and order situation across Haryana. Congress workers and Rohtak MLA B B Batra are currently with Himani’s mother, providing support to the family. We stand with Himani’s family in this hour of grief. Police should identify the culprits and take strict action at the earliest.”
Rohtak Congress MLA B B Batra, demanding a high-level investigation in the case, said: “She was a Congress worker. This brutal murder should be investigated by a special investigation team (SIT). It is unfortunate that such a gruesome act was committed on Himani.”
Himani — who had been associated with Youth Congress for the past few years — completed her MBA and LLB. Usually active on social media platforms, she also worked as a digital content creator. Three days ago, she uploaded several videos on her social media account, where she could be seen dancing at a wedding function; she had also posted her birthday photographs on February 14.
