Indore: 28-year-old kills grandmother over liquor money, hides body in bed box

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A 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly strangling his 65-year-old grandmother to death and later hiding her body in a bed storage box in Malharganj area, police said on Thursday, NDTV reported.

As per the report, the accused, who was arrested within hours of the crime after he attempted to flee to Rajasthan, was identified as Vikas Gauhar. The incident occurred in Salvi Mohalla of Indiranagar late on Tuesday night.

Victim Shanti, a retired muster roll worker with the municipal corporation, relied on her pension to support her grandchildren, the report added.

"We received information about the dead body of a 65-year-old woman found in a trunk at her residence in Indra Nagar, Salvi locality. Acting swiftly, the police reached the spot, conducted an inspection, and called in the FSL team to gather forensic evidence," Additional DCP Alok Sharma was quoted by NDTV as saying.

"The deceased has been identified as Shanti Dhananjay, wife of Kishan Dhananjay. During the investigation, her body was found inside a storage trunk placed on the bed," he added.

As per the report, he further said that Shanti had taken on the responsibility of raising her grandson Vikas's two young children -- a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy -- after his wife left him a year ago due to his addiction and abusive behaviour.

Vikas, who was unemployed and battling substance abuse, often demanded money from his grandmother.Around 4 am on the night of the incident, he allegedly asked Shanti for money to buy liquor. When she refused, he reportedly strangled her while his children were asleep in the house, the report added.

After committing the murder, Vikas hid her body in the bed's storage compartment. Later, on Wednesday, Shanti's daughter approached the police, expressing concern over her mother's sudden disappearance and Vikas's evasive responses, NDTV reported.

She revealed that he had locked the house and evicted her following a brief conversation. When questioned by relatives and the police, Vikas kept changing his statements, raising suspicion. Upon inspecting the house, police found the bed in the room disturbed.

When they opened the storage compartment, they discovered Shanti's body hidden inside.

According to the report, the accused fled the scene before the police arrived but was tracked and apprehended within an hour. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

Police confirmed that his father, Dhanraj Gauhar, had passed away years ago, and Shanti had been solely supporting the family using her pension.

The accused remains in custody, and further investigation is underway, the report added.