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IAF Sergeant Accused Of Murdering Colleague In Punjab, Chopping Body Into 16 Pieces

Police suspect motive to be an extramarital affair gone sour.
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The Bathinda Police on Tuesday arrested an Indian Air Force (IAF) sergeant and his wife on the charge of murdering a colleague who had been reported missing earlier this month.

According to reports, the police suspect Sulesh Kumar and his wife Anuradha of killing Vipin Shukla, chopping his body into 16 pieces, and storing the remains in their refrigerator and closet. Shukla, a corporal working in the Air Force Wives Welfare Association Canteen, was killed on 8 February according to the police.

A foul smell emanating from Sulesh Kumar's residential quarters led the police and air force station officials to the accused.

Police suspect the motive behind the gruesome crime to be Shukla's extramarital affair with Anuradha. She reportedly wanted to marry him after leaving her husband but Shukla had refused.

"After discovering she was pregnant, Anuradha asked Vipin to marry her but he refused," the Hindustan Times quoted Superintendent of Police, Gurmeet Singh, as saying. "He had also been spreading details of their relationship among other employees. Thus, Anuradha, with her husband and brother, hatched a conspiracy to murder Vipin for revenge."

Singh said that Kumar called Vipin over on 8 February on the pretext of helping him pack as he was shifting houses.

According to Singh, Kumar first hit Shukla with an iron rod and then killed him using an axe. He then packed his body and carried it to his new living quarters.

"On 19 February, Sulesh cut the body into pieces with a meat knife and packed it in 16 polythene bags. He put some in the wardrobe and the others in the refrigerator," Singh said.

Another accused, Anuradha's brother Shashi Bhushan, was also present at the crime scene. He works with the Merchant Navy and is absconding. A case under section 302 (murder) has been registered against all the accused.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.