Chandigarh court sentences taxi driver Monu Kumar to life imprisonment in 15-year-old Neha Ahlawat murder case
PTC Web Desk: A local court in Chandigarh has sentenced taxi driver Monu Kumar, a resident of Shahpur Colony, Sector 38 (West), to life imprisonment in the 15-year-old murder case of MBBS student Neha Ahlawat. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict. The quantum of punishment was announced today after Monu Kumar was held guilty of murder on Thursday.
The case dates back to July 30, 2010, when the blood-stained body of 21-year-old Neha was recovered from the forest area of Sector 38, Chandigarh. She had left home around 6 pm to attend English-speaking classes in Sector 15 but failed to return. After hours of searching, her scooter, smeared with blood, was found near Karan Taxi Stand in Sector 38 West. Her half-naked body was later discovered in nearby bushes and declared “brought dead” at PGI.
Despite extensive investigation, the police were unable to identify the killer for years, eventually closing the case in 2020. A breakthrough came in 2022, when the UT Police were investigating another brutal murder and rape case of a woman named Mandeep, whose body was found in the same forest area. DNA profiling of suspects from the locality, including those with criminal history, led to a match with Monu Kumar. His DNA also matched biological samples collected from Neha’s body in the 2010 case. Following his arrest, the police claimed that Monu Kumar confessed to Neha’s rape and murder.
- PTC NEWS
