Munish Sood
Shimla
In a major breakthrough in the sensational m*urder of private school proprietor Manisha Mittal, Shimla Police have arrested her brother, Himank Mittal, and his business partner, Govind, for allegedly masterminding the contract k*illing over a long-standing property dispute.
Police said the accused allegedly hired two shooters to eliminate Manisha Mittal, who was shot d*ead outside the gate of her Saraswati Paradise School in Sanjauli on June 13. The two alleged assailants had already been arrested earlier during the investigation.
According to investigators, Himank Mittal, in conspiracy with his business partner Govind, planned the murder and arranged for contract k*illers to execute the crime. Police alleged that Govind provided a vehicle to facilitate the movement of the shooters to Shimla before leaving the country in an apparent attempt to evade arrest. He has since been apprehended, while Himank was arrested from Rohtak.
Addressing the media, Shimla Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mehar Kaur said Govind has been remanded to four days of police custody for further interrogation. Himank Mittal, who is reportedly unwell, was arrested from Rohtak and is being subjected to the due legal process.
Investigators believe the motive behind the m*urder was a prolonged dispute over ownership of the Shimla school property. Manisha, a native of Rohtak who was married in Rewari, had been running Saraswati Paradise School in Shimla after her father transferred the property to her. Her brother had reportedly been locked in a legal and family dispute with her over the property for nearly five years.
Police sources said Manisha had, on several occasions, expressed apprehension that her life was under threat. However, following her murder, Himank had released a video claiming that he had neither met nor spoken to his sister for the past 16 years.
Manisha had been living with her daughter on the school premises for the past few years. On the evening of June 13, two armed assailants allegedly intercepted her at the school gate and shot her in the head at close range before fleeing. CCTV footage of the attack, which later surfaced, had sent shockwaves across Himachal Pradesh.
With the arrest of the alleged conspirators and the two shooters, Shimla Police believe they have cracked the high-profile murder case. Further investigation is underway to determine whether any other individuals were involved in the conspiracy.
