Couple held for Jain girl's murder

Bhavnagar, Oct 23 : In a sensational incident, a Brahmin couple was arrested for allegedly strangling to death a Jain girl, who insisted on marrying the man claiming she was pregnant, police said today.

The decomposed body of the girl, Nehal Shah, who worked as a sales girl in a jewellery shop and missing since September 30, was found in a plastic bag under the bridge of a rivulet at Sanesh village in Bhal area of the district on October 20, police said.

Police investigations revealed her connections with a labour contractor at a factory Hardik Oza, who confessed to his involvement in strangulating to death Nehal after calling her to his Bharatnagar house on September 30. His wife, Jigna, also helped him in murdering the 22-year-old girl and disposing the body.

Hardik had told the police that the girl with whom he had intimate relationship was pressing him to marry her claiming she was pregnant.

Since she did not return home on September 30, her widowed mother Harshaben Shah and brother Jigar searched for her and later lodged a complaint with the police next day.

Police said Hardik had deserted his first wife, who was living with his parents in Triveni Park area. He had a daughter from his first wife. Hardik reportedly married Mumbai-based Jigna, who later shifted to Bhavnagar and was working as a librarian in a school. The couple had two sons, who were studying in Mumbai and Amreli respectively.

Since Jigna opposed Hardik's attempt to marry for a third time, Nehal was eliminated, police added.

--UNI

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