Rajkot: Rajkot rural police solved the double murder of a young farm labourer couple within five days, arresting the woman’s former partner for allegedly killing the newlyweds while they were staying at a farm in Moti Marad village in Dhoraji taluka. Investigators said the accused returned to work at a neighbouring farm after the murders and behaved normally in an apparent bid to avoid suspicion.The accused, identified as 18-year-old Suresh Bariya from Dahod district, was arrested for the murder of Rohit Chauhan (17) and his 22-year-old wife, Durga, during the night of July 13-14 over resentment after Durga married another man.The case came to light after Rohit’s father, Mathura Chauhan, a native of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh, lodged a complaint at Patanvav police station. He told police that his son and daughter-in-law were murdered by an unidentified assailant who attacked them with a sharp weapon.Rajkot SP Vijaysinh Gurjar said multiple teams were deployed to crack the case. He said that technical evidence and human intelligence pointed towards Bariya, who was working as a farm labourer in a neighbouring field. During questioning, he allegedly admitted to the crime.Police said Bariya told investigators that he and Durga were in a relationship for about three years but could not marry because of social circumstances. After Durga married Rohit two months ago, he allegedly harboured a grudge and decided to take revenge.Investigators said Durga’s father was working as the caretaker of the farm where the couple was staying. Before leaving for Madhya Pradesh, he asked his daughter and son-in-law to look after the property. Around the same time, Bariya was hired along with another labourer to spray pesticide in a nearby field. Seeing Durga with her husband during the day allegedly triggered his plan to kill the couple.Police said Bariya attacked Rohit with an iron pipe before killing Durga later that night. After the murders, he allegedly concealed the weapon, bloodstained clothes and other incriminating material in an attempt to destroy evidence before returning to work the next day as if nothing happened, said police inspector Janaksinh Rao.
