Himachal man sentenced for widow's rape and murder

A man from Himachal Pradesh has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a widow in Mohali. The local court found Sandeep Kumar guilty of the crime, which took place in a hotel in 2021. He had promised to marry the victim but later betrayed her trust. The court, presided over by judge Vikrant Kumar, also imposed a fine of ₹ 20,000 on Kumar. Details of the court's official ruling are still pending. The victim's cousin, who lives in Chandigarh, reported the case to the police. According to the cousin, the victim was a hotel cleaner. After her husband passed away in 2019, she developed a friendship with Kumar, who frequently visited her. However, Kumar later began to harass her, leading to her depression. On September 8, 2021, Kumar invited the victim to a hotel in Baltana. The next morning, she was found dead. Initially, her cousin suspected she might have taken her own life after an argument with Kumar. However, an autopsy revealed that she had been raped and strangled. Following this, police changed the charges against Kumar to include murder and rape. Initially, Kumar claimed the victim hanged herself, but later admitted to killing her after the assault while he was drunk.