Mother of murdered Congress worker in Haryana suspects party workers or friends behind the crime

Savita Rani, mother of Himani Narwal, says the family will not perform her last rites till the culprits are arrested.

A day after a woman Congress worker’s body was found stuffed inside a suitcase at Rohtak in Haryana, her mother on Sunday (February 2, 2025) said fellow party workers or friends, jealous of her daughter’s rising political stature within the party’s State unit, could be behind the murder.

Savita Rani, mother of Himani Narwal, said the family would not perform her last rites till the culprits were arrested.

The police have constituted a Special Investigation Team under Rajneesh Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sampla, to investigate the murder.

“My daughter even risked her life for the Congress. She neglected her studies and home for the past 10 years to focus on elections. It is only the elections and the party that have taken her life. She had made enemies only because of this,” Ms. Rani told media persons. She said that some people could not digest the fact that Himani had gone ahead of them in politics at such a young age.

Asked whether she suspected anyone, Ms. Rani said, “These people could be from the party or even her friends.”

The body of Himani, who was pursuing Bachelor of Laws, was found inside a suitcase near a bus stand in Sampla around noon on March 1. She is suspected to have been strangulated.

A science graduate, Himani, in her 20s, was associated with the Congress party for over a decade and was close to the family of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, according to her mother.

A social media content creator, Himani had a large number of followers on various platforms.

Ms. Rani and her son have been staying in Delhi after her eldest son was murdered in 2011 due to personal enmity. However, Himani was staying on rent in Rohtak.

Ms. Rani said her daughter had lost interest in politics after the Assembly election last year and wanted to work and get married.

The mother claimed that she was with Himani till late in the afternoon of February 27, but her mobile was switched off when she tried to contact her the next day at night.

“She was staying away from the ongoing municipal polls campaign and mostly stayed at room. But she told me that she would be busy with an election meeting on February 28 during the day. When I called her at night, her phone was switched off,” Ms. Rani said.

Congress MLAs Bharat Bhushan Batra and Indu Raj Narwal met the victim’s family later in the day and assured them of full cooperation.

Published - March 02, 2025 11:38 pm IST