Monday, 15 May 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Pithoragarh police are yet to nab the quadruple murder accused Santosh Ram (40) who allegedly killed four members of his family including his wife in Bursam Gram Panchayat area of Gangolihat Tehsil of the district on Friday. The police have been extensively searching for Santosh across the district including the forest areas where he was most likely to be hidden, said the circle officer of Pithoragarh Mahesh Chandra Joshi to The Pioneer.
The accused had allegedly killed three women in his family- his aunt Hemanti Devi (65), her daughter-in-law Rama (24) and daughter Maya (20) by slitting their throats using a sharp weapon early on Friday morning. The accused’s wife was also missing since that morning which made the police suspect that she was also allegedly absconding with her husband but her body was recovered late on Friday evening from the home of the accused. The police believe that the accused committed all these murders due to his psychopathic tendencies.
The CO said that Santosh was a Chholiya dance performer who used to perform the Kumaoni folk dance with the son of his aunt- one of the victims Hemanti Devi, but could not do so anymore due to his leg injury. He said that it was observed during the investigation that the accused might have psychopathic tendencies which might be the main motivation behind him committing all these murders. “We came to know that he also allegedly attempted to kill his 16-year-old daughter after she witnessed him killing the victims in the morning who saved herself by running from there. He probably murdered his wife for the same reason. All things can be clear only after his arrest.
The police are working to search him day and night,” said the CO. Meanwhile, police teams are continuing the search for the accused with sniffer dogs and other means also being used.
