Rishikesh AIIMS Worker Preeti Rawat Murder: Lover Arrested from Saharanpur, Property Dispute Cited as Motive

Dehradun/Saharanpur, Feb 2:
Police have arrested Suresh Gupta, the prime accused in the murder of Preeti Rawat, a 32-year-old employee of AIIMS Rishikesh, from Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Monday. The arrest was made from Chhutmalpur, ending a brief manhunt after the accused went absconding following the crime.

According to police, Preeti Rawat, who was living alone in a rented room in the Shivaji Nagar area of Rishikesh, was allegedly shot dead late Saturday night. She was a divorcee and worked as an assistant at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh.

Preeti’s father, Bachchan Singh Rawat, lodged a complaint accusing Suresh Gupta of murdering his daughter, following which a case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Preliminary investigation revealed that Gupta had divorced his wife about four months ago to marry Preeti. Acting on her advice, he allegedly sold his ancestral property in Laksar area of Haridwar and was searching for a suitable house in Rishikesh to settle down with her.

However, police said tensions escalated between the two after Gupta failed to find a suitable property in Rishikesh, leading to frequent arguments. “Prima facie, the dispute over property appears to be the main motive behind the murder,” a police official said.

The accused was taken into custody and is being interrogated. Police are also examining forensic evidence and other material collected from the crime scene to strengthen the case.