Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Delhi Police Tuesday said they had arrested four men who were behind the murders of two young working women whose killings - one six months ago and one over the weekend - had rocked the capital.
Police said the same people were behind the killings of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan and IT executive Jigisha Ghosh, who were both killed after midnight as they were returning from work. Both were in their twenties.

Jigisha was found smothered to death last Friday. Soumya had been shot dead Sep 30 last year.

The murders had raised questions about the security of working women in the capital, especially those like journalists or call centre executives who work in night shifts.

The murder weapon used to kill Soumya and vehicles used in the crimes have been recovered, police said, and added that there was “enough evidence” to book the perpetrators on murder charges.

Police said investigations revealed that the two murders were similar, leading them to believe the same gang was involved.

“Both the murder mysteries have been solved. The accused have been arrested. We have recovered the murder weapon and vehicles used. We have enough evidence to book them for murder,” said Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat.

The four arrested men have been identified as Ravi, Baljeet, Ajay and Ajay. A fifth member of the gang that operated in south Delhi is said to be absconding. Ravi allegedly shot Soumya after what could have been an attempt at sexual harassment or theft, police said.

Jigisha, 28, a resident of Vasant Vihar in south Delhi, had left her home for office in Noida Tuesday but did not return home, though her office cab had dropped her outside the block of flats where she lived. Her body was discovered by Faridabad police three km from Surajkund Friday night. The motive behind Jigisha’s death appears to be robbery.

The preliminary post-mortem report suggested that Ghosh was smothered to death.

The assailants had used Ghosh’s ATM card to withdraw Rs.77,000 from the State Bank of India ATM in Mahipalpur besides using it to buy certain items from Sarojini Nagar market, police said.

Soumya, 25, was found dead in her car in Vasant Kunj area of south Delhi around 3.30 a.m. Sep 30 when she was returning from work to her home in Sector-C of Vasant Kunj.

“I am very happy. I am satisfied with how the case was investigated. We have full faith in the police efforts,” Soumya’s father M.K. Vishwanathan told a news channel.