Australian NRI Murdered in Amritsar; Brother Arrested Over Property Dispute

The baffling disappearance of 66-year-old Sunil Sharma, an Australian citizen of Punjabi origin, has culminated in a tragic murder investigation in Amritsar, Punjab. Sharma, who had been missing since May 22, was found to have been murdered, with the Punjab Police arresting four individuals, including his own brother, Satish Sharma, in connection with the crime. Preliminary investigations point towards a deep-seated property dispute as the primary motive behind the homicide. Sunil Sharma, a mathematics teacher based in Melbourne, Australia, had traveled to Amritsar to oversee renovations and address property-related matters concerning his house. His disappearance had caused significant concern among his family in Australia and garnered attention from the Punjabi diaspora and Australian media. His mobile phone remained inaccessible from the day he went missing, fueling fears for his safety. The case gained further traction when Sharma's daughter, Surbhi Sharma, made an emotional appeal to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, requesting immediate intervention to locate her father. As the investigation unfolded, the police identified Sharma's brother, Satish Sharma alias Sunny, as the prime suspect. Sources indicate that property disputes were being thoroughly examined as the motive. The breakthrough in the case came after police apprehended Satish Sharma, his wife Anushka Sharma, and their son in Delhi. A local property dealer, Lakshman Singh Bal, has also been implicated in the conspiracy. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar, Kanwalpreet Singh, Sunil Sharma was allegedly drugged with sleeping pills before being fatally bludgeoned on the head with a baseball bat on May 22. In an attempt to conceal the crime, the perpetrators are alleged to have dumped his body into a canal near Harike. Investigations revealed that Satish Sharma had lured his brother to India under the pretext of selling property. It is alleged that Satish had fabricated a fraudulent power of attorney in Ludhiana to secretly liquidate several of Sunil's assets, including a house in Amritsar's Aishana Estate. The siblings reportedly had an ongoing dispute over a prime property in Mohali, valued at over Rs 4 crore. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder: Satish Sharma, his wife Anushka Sharma, their son Sunish Sharma, and property dealer Lachhman Singh alias Ball. Two other suspects, Manjinder Singh and Jajbir Singh alias Baba, have been named in the case and remain at large, with authorities conducting raids for their arrest. The initial case was registered as a kidnapping under Section 364 of the Indian Penal Code. However, with the confirmation of the murder and arrests, the case is being converted into a murder investigation. The recovery of the victim's body is still a priority, with extensive search operations underway in the Harike Pattan barrage and surrounding areas. The case highlights a disturbing trend of property-related crimes involving NRIs in Punjab. The involvement of family members in such heinous acts underscores the complexities and sensitivities surrounding property disputes within families, particularly when significant financial assets are involved. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities determined to bring all perpetrators to justice and recover Sunil Sharma's body.

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