In a breakthrough 15 days after the murder of financier Sonam Jain, 55, police on Sunday arrested Sanjeev Kumar alias Kaku, 41, an air-conditioner mechanic and resident of Aman Nagar, Salem Tabri.
Jain’s body was discovered in the bathroom of her residence in Salem Tabri on June 21. Initial reports raised suspicions due to the lack of any robbery or signs of forced entry. Acting on a complaint by her husband, Surinder Jain, the Salem Tabri police registered an FIR the same day.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rupinder Singh, the investigation relied on extensive CCTV footage analysis. Although the accused had attempted to conceal his identity with a cap, he was successfully identified and arrested.
Sanjeev Kumar allegedly murdered Sonam Jain out of revenge. He had borrowed Rs18,000 from her but failed to repay several installments. The accused claimed that Jain insulted him and used offensive language about his mother, which provoked him to commit the crime.
On June 21, under the pretext of repaying part of the loan, Sanjeev visited her home. Once inside, he allegedly pushed her to the ground, dragged her to the bathroom, and strangled her to death.
Additional DCP Sameer Verma confirmed that no robbery occurred, and the murder was entirely driven by personal vengeance.
The police continue to verify details of Sanjeev’s confession and are conducting further investigation to rule out any additional motives or accomplices.
