Amritsar: A Punjab-origin Australian citizen, who went missing on May 22 while visiting his roots in Amritsar, was murdered by his own brother, police said on Saturday after arresting four suspects.
Police have not found Sunil Sharma's body yet but believe they have enough circumstantial and technical evidence to prove the 66-year-old was murdered. Sunil's brother Satish Sharma, his wife Anushka, son Sunish, and a fourth accused, Lachhman Singh alias Ball, have been arrested. Police are looking for two other suspects, Manjinder Singh and Jajbir Singh alias Baba, Amritsar-rural SSP Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said. All of them are linked to the realty industry.
The case drew widespread attention after the missing man's daughter, Surbhi Sharma, appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav on June 1 to help trace him. Australian media also followed the events.
Sunil, a mathematics teacher in Melbourne, had returned to Amritsar to sell his house, according to police. Investigators suspect his murder was linked to a dispute over this property. According to the family, Sunil was in regular contact with them during his visit. He spoke with his children on May 21 and on the morning of May 22 before leaving for his house to have it repaired and painted for sale.
After that, his phone was switched off. Concern grew when he could not be contacted, and relatives found the house locked and his vehicle missing. On May 23, Sunil's friend, Gaurav Kandhari of Fatehgarh Churian, reported him missing.
The SSP said investigators analyzed CCTV footage and toll plaza data, used technical surveillance, and other intelligence inputs before zeroing in on the suspects.
Chahal said Sunil was killed and his body thrown into Harike Canal. To mislead investigators, the accused drove his car to Amritsar and left it in the parking area near the Golden Temple, he added. After that, the alleged conspirators went to Delhi and then to Jalandhar, where they rented a house in Mithapur and remained in hiding, police said.
Police are searching for Sunil's body in the canal. The swift currents may have carried it downstream, they say.
