Missing Australian teacher murdered over property dispute in Punjab; bro and kin held

AMRITSAR: A Punjab-origin Australian citizen, who went missing on May 22 while on a trip to his roots in Amritsar, was murdered by his own brother, police said on Saturday after arresting four suspects.

Police haven't found Sunil Sharma's body yet but believe they have enough circumstantial and technical evidence to prove the 66-year-old was murdered.

Sunil's brother Satish Sharma, his wife Anushka, son Sunish and a fourth accused, Lachhman Singh alias Ball, have been arrested while police are looking for two other suspects, Manjinder Singh and Jajbir Singh alias Baba, Amritsar-rural SSP Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said. All of them are linked to the realty industry.

The case had drawn widespread attention after the missing man's daughter, Surbhi Sharma, appealed to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav on June 1 to help trace him. The Australian media too followed the events.

Sunil, who was a mathematics teacher in Melbourne, had returned to Amritsar to sell his house, say police. Investigators suspect his murder was linked to a dispute over this property.



According to the family, Sunil was in regular contact with them during his visit. He spoke with his children on May 21 and on the morning of May 22 before leaving for his house to have it repaired and painted before selling it.

After that his phone was switched off. Concern grew when he couldn't be contacted and relatives found the house locked and his vehicle missing. On May 23, Sunil's friend, Gaurav Kandhari of Fatehgarh Churian, reported him missing.

The SSP said investigators analysed CCTV footage and toll plaza data, used technical surveillance and other intelligence inputs before zeroing in on the suspects.

Chahal said Sunil was killed and his body thrown into Harike Canal. To mislead investigators, the accused drove his car to Amritsar and left in the parking area near Golden Temple, he added. After that the alleged conspirators went to Delhi and then to Jalandhar where they rented a house in Mithapur and "remained in hiding", say police.

Police are looking for Sunil's body in the canal. The swift currents may have carried it downstream, they say.