A shocking incident came to light from Rajasthan’s Ajmer district on Thursday, where a 45-year-old former village sarpanch and three members of his family were allegedly murdered and set ablaze inside a car, police said.
The incident occurred in Shrirampura village, around 60 km from Ajmer city, where a Mahindra Scorpio SUV was found burning on a highway, nearly 500 metres from the victims’ home, according to PTI.
The deceased were identified as Ram Singh Choudhary, a former sarpanch, along with his mother Poosi Devi, his second wife Suryagyan Devi, and his niece Mahima Chaudhary.
Police said they have detained three members of the family in connection with the case, Ram Singh’s first wife Sunita, his daughter Sarita, and his 17-year-old son, as investigations continue.
Ram Singh was living in the same house with both his wives, and their cohabitation frequently led to disputes, police said.
Three charred bodies were recovered from a burnt car on Thursday, while a fourth body was found in a nearby field, officials added.
What did the police say?
Superintendent of Police Harsh Vardhan Agarwala said the case initially appeared to be an accidental fire, but preliminary investigations suggested it was a murder.
When police reached Ram Singh’s residence, his first wife reportedly said he had gone to a hospital with his mother, who was experiencing chest pain.
“Ram Singh had two wives, and there was a dispute in the family on this matter. Our investigation revealed that the first wife and her children had a scuffle with Ram Singh and his mother,” SP stated.
Police suspect that Ram Singh’s first wife and her children allegedly killed the four victims late Wednesday night, placed the bodies in an SUV, drove it to a highway, and set it on fire.
Another official said the accused, during questioning, claimed that Sunita was subjected to regular harassment and that Ram Singh frequently engaged in disputes with her.
"After the bodies were recovered, locals shared various inputs about the domestic violence and frequent quarrels that used to happen between Ram Singh and Sunita," the officer mentioned.
Police said that a quarrel broke out within the family late last night, during which Ram Singh was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon. When his mother and other relatives tried to intervene, they were also assaulted.
"The accused put the bodies inside the vehicle and took it to the highway, nearly 500 metres away from the house and burnt it with diesel," the officer noted.
Property dispute leaves six dead in Karnataka village
In other news, an alleged property dispute turned deadly in this district on Friday, leaving six people dead, including five members of the same family, police said. The incident took place in Govindapura village in Chadachana taluk between 2 pm and 2.30 pm, officials added.
Police confirmed that five of the victims were from one family and two were injured in the incident.
