Indore, June 12: A 65-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her grandson, who later hid her body in a bed storage box, in the Malharganj area of Indore, police said on Thursday.

The accused, 28-year-old Vikas Gauhar, was arrested within hours of the crime after he attempted to flee to Rajasthan.

Additional DCP Alok Sharma said the incident occurred in Salvi Mohalla of Indiranagar late on Tuesday night.

The victim, Shanti, a retired muster roll worker with the municipal corporation, relied on her pension to support her grandchildren.

Speaking to IANS, Sharma said, "We received information about the dead body of a 65-year-old woman found in a trunk at her residence in Indra Nagar, Salvi locality. Acting swiftly, the police reached the spot, conducted an inspection, and called in the FSL team to gather forensic evidence."

"The deceased has been identified as Shanti Dhananjay, wife of Kishan Dhananjay. During the investigation, her body was found inside a storage trunk placed on the bed," he added.

He further said that Shanti had taken on the responsibility of raising her grandson Vikas's two young children -- a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy -- after his wife left him a year ago due to his addiction and abusive behaviour.

Vikas, who was unemployed and battling substance abuse, often demanded money from his grandmother.

Around 4 am on the night of the incident, he allegedly asked Shanti for money to buy liquor. When she refused, he reportedly strangled her while his children were asleep in the house.

After committing the murder, Vikas hid her body in the bed’s storage compartment. Later, on Wednesday, Shanti’s daughter approached the police, expressing concern over her mother’s sudden disappearance and Vikas’s evasive responses.

She revealed that he had locked the house and evicted her following a brief conversation.

When questioned by relatives and the police, Vikas kept changing his statements, raising suspicion. Upon inspecting the house, police found the bed in the room disturbed.

When they opened the storage compartment, they discovered Shanti’s body hidden inside.

Vikas fled the scene before the police arrived but was tracked and apprehended within an hour. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

Police confirmed that his father, Dhanraj Gauhar, had passed away years ago, and Shanti had been solely supporting the family using her pension.

The accused remains in custody, and further investigation is underway.

--IANS

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