Two days after the body of Shikha Agarwal, a bank clerk, was found near Neem Ka Thana, police have arrested her husband, Pankaj Batra, 33, for her murder. Pankaj initially pretended to mourn his wife’s death and assisted in the police investigation, but after further questioning, he was detained on Tuesday and later confessed to strangling Shikha.
The 30-year-old woman, who worked at a government rural bank, had been staying with her parents in Neem Ka Thana for the past three months. Pankaj, a resident of Alwar, allegedly traveled to Neem Ka Thana to murder her after an ongoing dispute. Shikha had reportedly been pressured by Pankaj to sign an agreement that would require her to give half of her salary to his mother and sever ties with her own family in return for being taken back to Alwar.
Shikha’s aunt, Anita, revealed that Shikha had confided in her about the arrangement, sharing that Pankaj insisted on the salary agreement before they could move to Alwar. On Sunday evening, Shikha had called her cousin at 6:15 PM to say Pankaj was pressuring her to sign the agreement. The next morning, Shikha’s body was discovered on the roadside at Bharala Mod, about 11 km from Neem Ka Thana. A food-filled tiffin was found near her body, leading the family to suspect Pankaj’s involvement.
After being taken to the crime scene by police, Pankaj admitted to the murder, stating he had killed Shikha by strangulation during an argument over the agreement. Police are continuing their investigation into the case.
