Overview
- Police in Palanpur arrested Rekha Rathod and her husband after CCTV showed the victim enter Rekha’s furniture shop and not exit.
- Investigators say Rekha had borrowed about 79 tola of gold, roughly 790 grams, plus Rs 2 lakh, and lured the woman with prasad laced with sedatives before strangling her with a wire.
- Media reports conflict on what happened to the body, with accounts describing burning in a tractor showroom basement or a sack dumped in a drain or an abandoned showroom basement.
- Outlets also differ on how many accomplices are in custody, while police say they are still tracking others and moving ahead with forensic work and case filings.
- The family had trusted Rekha for about 15 years as a domestic helper, a reminder that informal gold lending within close circles is common locally and can turn into sharp disputes.