Chandigarh: Following the gruesome murder of Himani Narwal, a young Congress worker in Harayana, Narwal’s family has accused party members of the crime, who they claim were envious of Narwal’s rise in the party ranks. The family has refused to cremate her body until the killers are arrested.
“Till the time my daughter does not get justice, we won’t cremate her,” Narwal’s mother, Savita, said.
Narwal’s body was discovered stuffed in a suitcase in Rohtak on Saturday with injury marks. The Haryana Police swiftly responded by arresting one accused after establishing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the crime, alongside four existing teams from the Rohtak police already actively searching for the perpetrators.
Haryana Police sources confirmed that the accused has been identified as Sachin. In his initial confession, he revealed details about his relationship with the victim.
According to the accused, he had been in a long-term relationship with Himani, which he confirmed to the police, adding that he had financially supported Himani, giving her large amounts of money over time. Despite this, Himani allegedly demanded more money, and there were reports of blackmail between the two, he added.
According to police reports, Sachin was apprehended in Delhi after fleeing the crime scene. The accused hails from a village located near Rohtak-Bahadurgarh and had known Himani for several months before committing the crime.
Sources reveal that the murder took place at Himani’s residence in Vijay Nagar. After killing her, the accused placed the victim’s body in a suitcase and disposed of it around 800 meters away from the Sampla bus stand.
Following the crime, Sachin escaped to Delhi, where he was eventually captured by the authorities. The investigation continues, with Haryana Police piecing together further details of the case.
The family’s refusal to cremate Narwal’s body until the killers are arrested was amplified by their allegations that some within the Congress party harbored resentment towards Narwal’s meteoric rise within the party.
Speaking to reporters in Rohtak, Narwal’s mother, Savita, emotionally expressed her belief that some within the Congress party envied her daughter’s success, stating, “It could be anyone in the party who was jealous about her rise, or it could be anyone else.”
This statement ignited a fierce political debate. Haryana Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Vij seized upon the mother’s claim, declaring the allegations “serious” and characterising the incident as emblematic of the Congress party’s supposed “old culture” of internal conflict and ambition. Vij, while acknowledging the ongoing police investigation, used the opportunity to highlight what he perceived as a pattern of intra-party conflict.
Savita described her daughter as someone who dedicated her life to the Congress party, often working late into the night for various party initiatives. The emotional weight of the situation is heightened by the fact that this is not the first tragedy to strike the family; Savita revealed that her elder son was also murdered years ago, a case which, she laments, remains unresolved.
“Last time, I talked to her on February 27. She had said she will be busy with a party programme the next day, but later her phone was found switched off,” her mother, who reached Rohtak from Delhi was quoted as saying news agency PTI.
While expressing grief and offering condolences, the Congress party is also under immense pressure to cooperate fully with the investigation. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while personally reaching out to the SP of Rohtak, assured the family that the party would fight for justice and emphasised that the perpetrators, regardless of their political affiliations, will be brought to justice. “The culprit should be identified and punished as per law. The Congress party stands with Himani’s family in this hour of grief,” Hooda said.
Hooda also highlighted the issue of rising crime against women in Haryana, expressing serious concern over the overall state of safety. Despite the family’s accusations, Hooda maintained that culpability rests solely with the perpetrators, whoever they may be.
“A culprit (in the murder case) is a culprit; whether he is in the party or anyone else, the culprit should be punished,” Hooda said.
