Serial killer behind 7 murders in 22 years finally arrested
What's the story
Following the murder of Patiala's Rajinder Singh on 30 December, police arrested a Ludhiana-based 47-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, Jagroop Singh in connection with the killing.
However, it turns out Jagroop is a serial killer who murdered seven people in the past 22 years across Punjab and Haryana.
It was during the investigation of the blind murder case of 43-year-old Rajinder that police finally caught Jagroop.
Details
Jagroop returned to Ludhiana after killing Rajinder: Patiala DIG
According to Patiala's Deputy Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill, a police team investigating Rajinder's murder had zeroed in on Jagroop with the help of some clues collected from the crime scene.
He added Jagroop suspected Rajinder was having an illicit relationship with Hema, his alleged lover.
Hema was also named in the murder case; the 43-year-old woman was, however, not arrested.
Quote
CCTV camera recorded killer's presence: Gill
DIG Gill stated: "Jagroop and Rajinder were known to each other and shared a drink on the day of crime. Jagroop laced Rajinder's drink with sedatives before killing him with sharp-edged weapons and a brick." A CCTV-camera near the crime spot led to Jagroop's arrest.
Murders
Series of murders committed by Jagroop
Jagroop reportedly confessed to committing his first murder in 1995. He is accused of killing a total of seven people, including the husbands of two of his illicit partners in 2004 and 2011. None of the murder cases was solved.
He said he first murdered a Ludhiana woman while committing a robbery in 1995; he also killed another woman in Ludhiana in 1998.
2004, 2011
Murdered husbands of two "paramours": Police
Jagroop developed an illicit relationship with Haryana's Paramjeet Kaur in 2004, according to the police. He later killed her husband Kuldeep Singh, packed the body in a trunk and threw it in the Yamuna River.
Later in 2011, he started having an affair with Ludhiana's Hema. They both killed Nand Lal (Hema's husband) in Ludhiana and dumped his body in a vacant plot.
2015, 2016
Jagroop, Hema killed his former partner Paramjeet
In May'15, Jagroop killed Anil Kumar of Patiala with Paramjeet's assistance and packed the body in a briefcase and dumped it. Paramjeet and Anil Kumar were allegedly involved in "flesh trade".
Only a year later, Jagroop, along with his second illicit partner Hema, murdered Paramjeet as she discovered his relationship with Hema. The police filed a murder case against unidentified persons in Apr'16.
Information
Case registered against Jagroop, Hema
Jagroop's seventh and last victim was Rajinder, who was murdered because he allegedly had an affair with Hema. After arresting Jagroop, the police registered a case against the serial killer and Hema under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence).