On 1st March, the body of a woman was found in a suitcase in the Sampla police station area of Rohtak District in Haryana. The woman was later identified as Congress worker Himani Narwal. Notably, Narwal had participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Party leaders have expressed shock over the death of the party worker and demanded a high-level impartial investigation into the matter.
Reports suggest that the suitcase was spotted at around 11 AM. There was a smell coming from the suitcase. Commuters alerted the police. When the suitcase was opened, a dead body was discovered. The woman in the suitcase was wearing a white suit, and a black ‘chunni’ was around her neck. Investigation revealed she was strangulated. The dead body was not identified until noon. Later, Congress leader B.B. Batra stated that the body was of Congress worker Himani.
Her father had committed suicide eight years ago, and her brother was also murdered. After her brother’s death, her mother moved to Delhi to live with her second brother. Himani was staying in rented accommodation in Rohtak.
Content of the FIR
OpIndia accessed the FIR filed by the police soon after the discovery of the dead body. By the time the FIR was registered, the victim was yet to be identified. The FIR was registered at Sampla Police Station under Sections 103(1) and 238(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the complaint of PSI Narender.
In his complaint, PSI Narender stated that he was with his fellow police personnel, ASI Ravinder and HC Shambhu Dayal, at the bus stand square in Sonepat for patrolling. During the checking, they spotted a black suitcase in a suspicious condition near the bushes by the wall of the bus stand. Upon inspection, they discovered the dead body of a woman inside the suitcase.
#WATCH | Haryana: A body was found in a suitcase near a highway in Rohtak, earlier today.
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2025
Sampla police station SHO Bijendra Singh said, "We received information that a body was found inside a suitcase in the bushes along the highway. The FSL team reached the spot and further… https://t.co/1wcC45uNwX pic.twitter.com/VptNxDrtAi
The police team immediately informed the Station House Officer of Sonepat and the in-charge of MFSU about the situation over the phone and secured the crime scene. Soon, SHO and MFSU in-charge Saroj Dahiya reached the spot and examined the body.
Upon inspecting the body, it was found that she had been murdered, and the dead body was placed inside the suitcase. He pointed out that the suitcase was disposed of, possibly with the intent to destroy evidence.
Identification of the deceased
During the investigation, it was found that the deceased was aged between 20 and 22 years. She had a scarf wrapped around her neck and mehendi on her hands.
When OpIndia checked her Instagram profile, it was found that Himani had mehendi on her hands in the most recent video she had posted on 27th February 2025.
Speaking to the media, SHO Bijendra Singh said that the girl seemed to have been murdered and her body was dumped on the road. He said, “We received information that a dead body has been found in a suitcase on the side of the highway, and we are investigating this matter. It seems that this girl has been murdered and her dead body has been thrown here. We are investigating the rest, and further action will be taken after registering a case. She is between 20 and 22 years old, and the body has just been found. We will identify it and take further action.”
#WATCH | Haryana: A body was found in a suitcase near a highway in Rohtak, earlier today.
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2025
Sampla police station SHO Bijendra Singh said, "We received information that a body was found inside a suitcase in the bushes along the highway. The FSL team reached the spot and further… https://t.co/1wcC45uNwX pic.twitter.com/VptNxDrtAi
Later, during a press conference, Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra alleged that the deceased was Congress worker Himani Narwal. He pointed out that she had accompanied the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He added that she was an active party worker with Bhupinder Hooda and Deepinder Hooda during the election campaign.
#WATCH | Rohtak | On a body found inside a suitcase earlier today, Haryana Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra says, "I have been informed that a body was found…the body is of our worker Himani Narwal…This is extremely sad and shocking…An STI should be formed in this matter,… https://t.co/FA3p8jiDhn pic.twitter.com/PqmAUDMSad
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2025
Congress demanded high-level probe
Congress Haryana president Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed shock over the incident. He called it a “blot on the law and order situation” in the state and demanded a “high-level and impartial” investigation into the matter.
रोहतक में कांग्रेस की सक्रीय कार्यकर्ता हिमानी नरवाल की बर्बर हत्या का समाचार बेहद दुःखद और स्तब्ध करने वाला है। दिवंगत आत्मा को श्रद्धांजलि व परिवारजनों के प्रति गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूँ।
— Bhupinder Singh Hooda (@BhupinderShooda) March 1, 2025
एक लड़की की इस तरह हत्या होना और उसका सूटकेस में शव मिलना, बेहद दुखदाई और आघात…
In a post on X, he wrote, “The news of the barbaric murder of active Congress worker Himani Narwal in Rohtak is extremely sad and shocking. I pay my tribute to the departed soul and express my deepest condolences to the family members. The murder of a girl in this manner and finding her body in a suitcase is extremely sad and shocking. This in itself is a blot on the law and order situation of the state.”
He added, “There should be a high-level impartial investigation into this murder, and the government should provide justice to the victim’s family as soon as possible and impose the harshest punishment on the culprits.”
