Haryana youth allegedly kills girlfriend at Manali hostel, attempts to dispose of body in bag

PTC Web Desk: A shocking incident from Manali, a popular tourist destination in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, has sent shockwaves throughout the region. In a gruesome crime, a man from Haryana allegedly brutally murdered his girlfriend and attempted to dispose of her body by packing it in a bag. The incident came to light when hotel staff became suspicious of the unusually heavy bag and immediately informed the police.

The deceased has been identified as 26-year-old Sheetal Kaushal from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She had reportedly travelled to Manali in Himachal Pradesh with her boyfriend, Vinod Thakur, who is a resident of Palwal in Haryana.

It is learnt that the couple checked into a private hotel in Manali on May 13. For two days, they visited local areas. However, on May 15 when Vinod decided to check out of the hotel, she was not accompanying him.

According to information gathered from hotel staff, Vinod packed their belongings, including Sheetal’s body, into their bags. He then requested a taxi to take him to the Volvo bus stand. Hotel staff became suspicious due to unusually heavy weight of one of the bags, and informed the police.

Upon receiving the tip-off, the police arrived at the hotel and inspected the suspicious bag only to find Sheetal’s body stuffed inside. Vinod, who had fled the scene, was later arrested and is currently in police custody for questioning.

Kullu SP Dr Karthikeyan Gokulachandran said they had received information about heavy bag Vinod was carrying. Upon arrival, the police found the bag in a taxi and, upon inspection, found a woman’s body inside. The body had been folded and packed into the bag.

The exact cause of Sheetal’s death is yet to be determined and will be confirmed following a post-mortem examination. The police are conducting a thorough investigation to know the motive behind the murder. Initial inquiries suggest that Vinod and Sheetal had been in a relationship and had travelled to Manali together, but the reasons for the violent outcome remain unclear.

The police also discovered several irregularities during their investigation at the hotel. It was noted that the couple’s entry had not been properly recorded in the hotel register, and the CCTV cameras were not functioning at the time. There were no reported disturbances or sounds of a fight from the couple’s room.