Police announced Monday that one individual has been arrested in connection with the murder of Congress worker Himani Narwal, whose body was discovered in Haryana stuffed in a bag days earlier.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the accused, who lives in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, was romantically involved with Himani, according to sources. Sources further disclosed that Himani had extorted lakhs of rupees from him and was allegedly blackmailing him. According to sources, Himani was murdered in her home in Haryana, and the luggage in which her body was discovered belonged to her.
Himani’s relatives said that she would be cremated today and demanded the death punishment shortly after one of the accused was arrested. “One accused has been arrested, and today we will cremate her (Himani Narwal). A lot of rumours are being spread in the media… We will get justice… We still don’t know who the accused is; the police have not given us any information… We want death penalty for the accused,” Himani’s brother Jatin told news agency.
However, according to a news source, Himani Narwal’s uncle Ravinder stated that they would not cremate her until the accused’s identity was made public. One day prior to the municipal elections, her body was found by onlookers near the Sampla bus stop. Members of her party have demanded a high-level investigation into Narwal’s death. Narwal, 22, was a participant in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Savita had already spoken out about her daughter’s murder and accused other Congress employees of being responsible. She claimed that many members of the party felt intimidated by her burgeoning political career and her closeness to prominent figures, such as Rahul Gandhi. “My daughter sacrificed a lot for Congress and party members used to visit our home. Some people in the party might be involved in the murder, as they may have felt threatened by Himani’s rising political career,” Savita told. Savita said that her daughter had been associated with Congress for the past 10 years. “She travelled with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to Srinagar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. She wanted to do clean politics, but some people wanted to trap her in a web of problems,” Savita added.
Savita, a Delhi resident, also disclosed that she hadn’t communicated with Himani since she last spoke to her daughter on February 27. According to her, Himani was supposed to go to a rally on February 28 hosted by former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Savita, however, said that because Himani’s phone was off, she was unable to contact her.
Congress took to X shortly after the state was jolted by the dramatic news of her murder, offering condolences and calling for an unbiased investigation into the crime. A SIT probe was urged by a number of Congress leaders, including Congress MLA BB Batra. However, Haryana’s law and order situation was condemned by Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, with whom Himani had shared numerous photos.
Despite Congress’s show of support on social media, Himani’s mother claimed that no senior leader from the party reached out to them after her daughter’s death. “I met Asha Hooda, and Hooda Saheb knows us, but no Congress leader has spoken to us yet,” she said.
