A 40-year-old taxi driver has been sentenced to life in prison for raping and murdering three women, including a 60-year-old whose body was discovered in a wooded area near a school. Monu Kumar, who was already serving life sentences for two similar attacks, was convicted in connection with the latest case.
Woman reported missing before body found
The 60-year-old victim had been unwell for between 10 and 15 days before she was reported missing from her home in Mohali, a city in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Her husband returned from work on February 27, 2024, and found her missing, prompting him to alert police. An immediate investigation was launched, and the woman's body was found the following day.
Detectives discovered that Kumar, who was already in custody after being arrested in connection with another rape-murder case, had confessed to murdering the woman. As reported by the Hindustan Times, Kumar took the victim from her home before raping and murdering her. He then disposed of her body near a local school and fled the area.
Previous attacks and conviction
Local media reported that Kumar had previously raped and killed a 21-year-old student and a 40-year-old woman. In the first attack, Kumar hit the student with a heavy stone before dragging her into nearby bushes, where he raped and murdered her before leaving the scene.
The case remained unsolved for years, but Kumar was convicted after being arrested in connection with raping and killing a 40-year-old woman. DNA evidence from the scene of that attack matched forensics from the initial murder. The 40-year-old woman, Kumar's second victim, was found dead in bushes near her home on January 12, 2022, having been raped the night before.
Sentencing and fines
Kumar was arrested again before being sentenced to life behind bars at the end of last month. He was also fined ₹7 lakh (£5,500) under Section 302 and ₹50,000 (£387) under Section 376-E.
