Delhi Woman Killed Allegedly Over Loan Dispute, Buried, 3 Arrested

A 54-year-old woman was murdered in north-west Delhi over a loan dispute and her body buried in a local graveyard, police said today.

This is the latest in a series of shocking crimes in the national capital over the past few months that have put the spotlight on the law and order situation and the rise in violence on the streets.

The body of Meena Wadhawan, who was missing from January 2, was dug out yesterday.

Police have taken three suspects -- Rehan, Mobin Khan and Naveen -- in custody, and they are being questioned.

The investigation so far has found that Ms Wadhawan was a moneylender who loaned out money to hawkers and daily wagers. The suspects owed her money and she had been pressing them to pay back, police said, adding that this could be the motive behind the crime.

The woman's family had registered a police complaint after she went missing. The family had said in the complaint that Ms Wadhawan left home on January 2, saying that she would be back in a bit, but never returned. Police found her phone switched off and nothing conclusive was spotted in the CCTV footage from near her home.

On the basis of her call records, police first questioned Mobin, but did not find a breakthrough. But, Naveen, on being questioned, admitted that he, Mobin and Rehan had murdered Ms Wadhawan and burried her body at the graveyard in Nangloi, police said. The woman's family members said they know all the suspects and that they were family friends. Police have recovered the body and seized the auto-rickshaw used to transport it to the graveyard. All three suspects are in custody. 

The caretaker of the graveyard has also been taken in custody after police found that he had not made an entry about the burial in the official register. Police said he took Rs 5,000 from the suspects for this.

Further investigation in the case is on.