Here’s how the Delhi Police solved the heinous murder mystery of a Swiss woman by following minute pieces of evidence.
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have solved the case of Swiss national Nina Berger, whose body was discovered in West Tilak Nagar last month. Following minute clues, the Delhi police solved the murder mystery and apprehended the suspect. However, the story of how the clues led the cops to the accused is a must-read. The front passenger seat of the car held dried blood stains, hair, and ripped-off leather upholstery, indicating that the victim had attempted to resist suffocation. The small pieces of evidence in the car guided the police to a brothel and then to the alleged killer, 33-year-old Gurpreet Singh. Nina Berger was a 30-year-old lawyer from Switzerland’s Zurich.
Gurpreet was arrested by the Delhi Police on October 21 from his residence in Janakpuri, West Delhi. Initially considered a case of a sour relationship, the police investigation revealed a different motive. Gurpreet, hailing from a family with expertise in gemstones, palmistry, and healing practices, was allegedly involved in the murder of Nina over an unpaid debt.
A Drive And The Murder
The family, comprising Gurpreet, his father Arjun Singh (53), mother Roop Kaur (50), and sister Paramjeet Kaur (26), resided in Janakpuri’s B-3 society. According to neighbors, the family maintained a low profile, rarely interacting with others or participating in society events. They had moved to Janakpuri approximately nine years ago, having previously lived in Subhash Nagar and later Tilak Nagar.
According to the security guard who was on duty outside the colony, “Aunty ji (Roop Kaur) goes to the nearby gurudwara every evening and goes to buy vegetables carrying a cloth bag every morning… She does not interact with anyone.”
The body of the swiss woman was dumped behind a primary school in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)
According to Gurpreet’s neighbours, the accused is almost never seen without a handkerchief covering his face whether he was doing jogging or when he left home around 10 am.
The Second-Hand Car
Police state that, the accused bought his car from a second-hand car dealer just a week before the committing the heinous murder. He registered it in the name of the sex worker.
DCP (West) Vichitra Veer stated that they traced Singh after they checked the ownership of his car. Said an officer, “While buying the car, he showed the identity card of the sex worker and lied to the dealer that she was his relative. When we went to the sex worker after we found Nina’s body, she told us that Gurpreet used to frequently visit her and had stolen her identity card on one of those visits. The fact that he bought the car a week before the murder makes it clear that it was a premeditated murder.”
According to the police investigation, on the day of the murder, October 18, Gurpreet purportedly lured her with the promise of a “surprise drive” and subsequently deceived her into fastening chains around her limbs. He claimed that it was a ritual aimed at healing her.
Accused Kept Body Inside The Car
Police stated that the accused kept the Swiss woman’s body inside the vehicle and parked on a deserted stretch of land. “The body stayed inside the car for a day, but as the stench kept getting stronger, Gurpreet decided to dispose of the body. He drove around for about 10 minutes, before dumping it behind the school. He abandoned the vehicle around 2 km away. That’s where we saw it,” said the officer.
‘Will Solve All Your Problems’
According to cops, Gurpreet is a Class 10 dropout and hoped to make a career out of his father’s business of gemstones, palmistry and healing practices.
The accused father used to travel foreign countries very frequently because of his foreign clients. “It was a life Gurpreet wanted for himself and so, soon after dropping out of school, he started learning palmistry from his father and also began dealing in gemstones and allied work, and travelled abroad frequently,” said an officer, adding that Arjun Singh is still on the run and a look-out-circular (LOC) has been issued against him. “His last location has been traced to Switzerland. His bank account shows suspicious transactions… We have also found out that he had gone to Nina Berger’s home in Switzerland to threaten her to complete their pending payment,” said an officer.
“Since 2013, Gurpreet’s personal account has seen deposits totalling nearly Rs 2 crore. We also found cash at his home of the same amount, a parallel probe of which is being carried out by the IT department. Gurpreet mostly deposited the proceeds of his work to the joint account,” said the officer.
Incognito On Social Media
Cops state that Gurpreet has no presence on social media, he got clients on various chatting apps, including WhatsApp and Omegle.
The Heinous Murder
Nina checked into a hotel in West Delhi’s Tagore Garden upon her arrival in Delhi on October 11. According to an officer, Gurpreet did not meet Nina from October 11 to 16. On October 17, he accompanied her to a nearby ATM to withdraw money, but the bank refused the withdrawal of a substantial amount.
The following day, they attempted again at the ATM, but the transaction was once more denied. “This left Gurpreet frustrated, leading him to carry out his plan to kill Nina,” stated another anonymous officer.
In addition to the murder charge, Gurpreet has been charged under the Arms Act, as the police discovered three pistols, a country-made weapon, 18 rounds of bullets, and magazines.