Shailja murder case: Major Nikhil Handa sent to 14 days judicial custody

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Friday sent Major Nikhil Handa, the key accused in the Shailja murder case, to 14 days of judicial custody. The Army major was scheduled to produce before the Delhi court as his four-day remand ended on Friday.

"Major Nikhil Handa being brought out of Delhi's Patiala House Court. He has been sent to 14 days judicial custody," the news agency ANI reported.

On June 25, a Delhi Court granted Handa four-day judicial custody for allegedly killing Shailja Dwivedi, the wife of his fellow officer Major Amit Dwivedi. 

Police arrested Handa from Meerut on Saturday after Shailja was found dead near the Brar Square in the Delhi Cantonment area.

The murder weapon, a knife, which was used by Major Handa to stab his colleague's wife, had also been recovered by the Delhi police on Thursday.

According to their call records, they had made 3,300 phone calls and echanged 1,500 text messages since January, most of which were from Handa’s side.

Read | Army Major Handa made 3,300 calls in six months to colleague’s wife he killed in ‘obsession’

Though prima facie it was seemed to be a case of accident, later police found that Shailja's throat was slit. The accused had allegedly drove a car over her face and the body to make the incident appear like an accident, the police said.

The police has seized Major Dwivedi's vehicle in which Shailja was last dropped at the Army Base Hospital.

According to reports, Major Handa first met Shailja on Facebook and made several fake profiles to come close to her. Later he befriended her husband, Major Dwivedi and became a regular visitor at their place in Nagaland.

Post that, Shailja got engaged in a relationship with Handa in 2015 and was later befriended and murdered by the Army Major after she refused to marry him.

Read | Army Major Nikhil Handa killed Major Dwivedi's wife Shailja in 'obsession', say cops

After stabbing Shailja to death, the accused Major had reportedly gone to Meerut where his brother lives. However, he did not mention to his brother about the murder of Shailja and said he was involved in a road accident.