4 arrested, including brother and sister-in-law over abduction and suspected murder conspiracy of NRI

AMRITSAR: Police have arrested four people, including the brother of a missing Australia-based NRI and his wife, for their alleged involvement in the abduction and suspected murder conspiracy of the NRI, who had returned to Punjab to sell his property.

The accused have been identified as Satish Sharma alias Sunny, his wife Anushka Sharma, their son Sunish Sharma, and Lachhman Singh alias Ball. Two other people, Manjinder Singh and Jajbir Singh alias Baba, have also been named in the case, Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal told reporters on Saturday.

The case came to light on 23 May when Gaurav Kandhari, a resident of Fatehgarh Churian, reported the disappearance of his friend Sunil Sharma, an Australian citizen originally from Punjab.

Sunil had reportedly arrived at his house in Ashiana Estate on Fatehgarh Churian Road on 22 May to carry out renovation and painting work before the proposed sale of the property.

When family members and friends were unable to contact him and found both his house and vehicle missing, concerns were raised about his safety. A missing person report was subsequently registered at a police station. Sunil's daughter had also made an emotional appeal to help trace her father.

As investigators examined CCTV footage, technical surveillance records, toll plaza data and other intelligence inputs, suspicion allegedly fell on people known to the victim, Chahal said.

He added that efforts are continuing to trace the remaining accused named in the case and determine the whereabouts of Sunil Sharma.