Dinesh Mathur, brother-in-law of late Haryana singer Harshita Dahiya (22), has reportedly confessed to the police during interrogation that he plotted the murder of the young singer. The singer was shot dead on October 17 in Panipat.
Mathur was remanded to four-day custody in connection with the murder of Harshita, who was shot dead in Chamrara village of Haryana's Panipat district on Tuesday evening. He has been in judicial custody for long in the case related to the killing of Harshita's mother in 2014. Mathur apparently conspired the killing of the singer from jail, which makes the case even more intriguing.
Desh Raj, Panipat Deputy Superintendent of Police, told IBTimes India, "Mathur was in Tihar jail before he was brought in custody for interrogation. He was booked for the murder of Harshita's mother in 2014."
The 22-year-old singer was returning to Delhi after a programme in Panipat when she was waylaid by assailants. Pradeep, another singer from Rathdhana village of Sonipat district, was with her in the vehicle when the incident took place.
Unknown assailants stopped Harshita's vehicle on 17th October and forced the other passengers to get out of the vehicle. After that, they fired 5-6 rounds at the singer, killing her on the spot.
Desh Raj said, "When she was returning, a black car overtook her vehicle near Chamrara and forced it to stop."
The police officials investigating the murder assumed that personal enmity could be the cause of Harshita's murder.
Earlier in 2013, Harshita had lodged a complaint against her brother-in-law, accusing him of rape. The singer was also the prime witness in the murder of her mother in Delhi in 2014.
Meanwhile Harshita's sister and Mathur's wife also came up alleging that her husband killed Harshita as she was a witness to her mother's murder.
Sources had earlier informed that the singer had received life threats which she had disclosed in a live video on Youtube.
Rahul Sharma, Panipat Superintendent of Police on October 19 said, "Harshita had accused Dinesh of raping her in 2013, and a case was registered against him."
"He was also booked for murdering her mother in Delhi in 2014. Harshita was the main witness in the case," he added.
Why Mathur shot Harshita's mother in 2014
Harshita's 45-year-old mother, a widow, lived with her two daughters in -Swatantra Nagar area in Delhi.
Dinesh Mathur, who is married to Harshita's elder sister, shot her mother for testifying against him in the rape case filed by Harshita.
Harshita's mother on October 2, 2014, had allegedly found Mathur forcing himself on Harshita who was aged 15 then. She immediately lodged a complaint against her son-in-law.
An FIR was filed after the medical examination of Harshita. Meanwhile Mathur had already fled from the house.
Later in her statement to police, 15-year-old Harshita had stated that Mathur had come to their home and threatened her mother for filing the case against him. As the argument heated up, Dinesh pulled out a pistol and shot her mother point blank and fled the scene.
