2 women held for artiste’s murder

Gurgaon: Two women were arrested in Rohtak on Wednesday in connection with the murder of

Haryanvi folk artiste

Joginder, alias

Lalla Saini

(23), who was

shot dead

by three assailants on March 19. Police said they were girlfriends of two of the killers arrested earlier and were involved in the conspiracy.

Tannu (19) of Rohtak and Anjali (28) of Nangloi (Delhi) were produced before a duty magistrate, who sent them to judicial custody. The three killers — Gaurav (26), Mahesh (26) and Sachin (21) — were arrested on the day of the murder in the city’s Rajendra Park area.

“Tannu is the live-in partner of Sachin while Anjali, who worked in a bar, is a friend of Gaurav. The women have confessed that they were involved in the murder conspiracy and were in regular touch with the killers ,” said an investigating officer.

The folk artiste was shot dead after being robbed of a gold chain and three rings by three men near Rohtak, around 80km from Gurgaon, on March 19 night. Police said that Hisar-based Saini was kidnapped in his Swift car by the trio for money on Jind bypass near Rohtak. But when the plan did not materialise, they pumped four bullets into his body and headed towards Gurgaon in Saini’s car, hiding the body in its boot.

“Gaurav, who had worked with the artiste for a music album a year ago, was the mastermind of the murder. They hatched the plan to extract money from Saini, but when he refused, they shot him. The women were also part of the plan,” said DCP (crime) Sumit Kuhar.