Panchkula police have solved the seven-month-old mystery of a woman's skeletal remains found behind the Sector-20 cremation ground in December 2025, arresting the accused from Surat, Gujarat. The accused, Manoj Kumar Pal, allegedly murdered the woman, a club dancer, and dumped her body in bushes to conceal her identity and destroy evidence.
Discovery of Skeletal Remains
On the intervening night of December 22 and 23, 2025, police received a Dial-112 call reporting a woman's skeletal remains behind the Sector-20 cremation ground. A police team shifted the remains to the mortuary at Civil Hospital, Sector 6, and a board of doctors conducted the post-mortem on December 26.
During examination, police recovered a slip from the victim's clothes, while the words "Inder I love you" were found written on her wrist. Investigators said these became crucial clues in establishing the victim's identity.
Identification of the Victim
Police traced Vicky Sharma through the website mentioned on the recovered slip. On December 30, 2025, Sharma and the victim's live-in partner, Inder, arrived at the mortuary and identified the deceased as Madhuri, alias Simran, alias Tiddi, based on her clothes, a red jacket, and the writing on her wrist. The body was then handed over to the family for last rites.
On January 15, 2026, Vicky Sharma lodged a complaint at the Sector-20 police station. Sharma, a DJ based in Zirakpur, stated that he had known the deceased and her live-in partner for several months, and both worked at club parties. According to the complaint, Simran left for a club party on the night of November 13, 2025, but never returned. After police recovered the skeletal remains, the victim was identified.
Clues Leading to the Accused
Sharma told police that on the same night, he received Rs 450 via Paytm from a person identified as Manoj Kumar Pal. When contacted, Pal allegedly told Sharma that he had dropped Simran near Patiala Chowk in Zirakpur. Based on this, Sharma suspected Pal of murdering her.
Panchkula DCP Srishti Gupta said that based on the complaint, a case was registered at the Sector-20 police station. After sustained efforts, police arrested Manoj Kumar Pal on July 2, 2026. Pal, a resident of Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh, was working as a motorcycle mechanic in Ganesh Nagar, Surat, Gujarat. Police recovered a Vivo mobile phone from his possession. Pal was produced before a court in Surat, transit remand was obtained, and he was brought to Panchkula on the night of July 3.
Confession and Evidence
According to DCP Gupta, during interrogation, Pal made significant disclosures. He allegedly confessed to killing Simran by smothering and strangling her before dumping her body in bushes behind the Sector-20 cremation ground. He also disclosed that a motorcycle registered in the name of one of his relatives had been used in the crime.
The arrest concludes a seven-month investigation that relied on forensic evidence and digital trails, including the Paytm transaction and the slip recovered from the victim's clothing.
