A dad vanished two weeks ago while on a trip to India – and police now allege he was murdered by his brother and his remains were thrown into a canal
Sunil Sharma vanished while on a trip to India(Image: 7NewsMelbourne)
The daughter of a teacher who was allegedly drugged and beaten to death has released a tragic update just days after four of her family members were charged.
Sunil Sharma, from Melbourne, Australia, vanished while on a visit to India last month to oversee renovations on investment properties. The maths teacher went missing on May 22 while in Amritsar, in the Punjab state, but Indian police now believe the 66-year-old was potentially murdered by his own brother over a property dispute.
Four people have been arrested as part of the investigation, despite police not yet recovering the Australian man’s remains.
Indian police have claimed that Sunil’s brother, Satish Sharma, spiked his brother’s drink will sleeping pills then fatally bashed him in the head with a baseball bat.
Cops have also alleged that the Melbourne teacher’s body was dumped in a canal, as the search for his remains continues. The brother was arrested and charged with murder, along with Sunil’s sister-in-law and nephew who were also charged with an alleged cover-up.
Days after they were arrested, Sunil’s daughter shared an emotional post on social media, saying: “I want to say clearly: do not associate my dad with the actions of his ‘brother’. My dad supported his brother and his family financially and emotionally throughout his whole life and raised him like a son.
“Dad was a good man and a victim of an unthinkable betrayal that still cannot be comprehended by our own family. A part of us has been lost to a heinous crime that should never have happened. I pray that the justice system in India enforces the maximum penalty for everyone involved in this calculated and premeditated crime. My dad deserves nothing less.”
The heartbroken daughter added that she has received support from the school her father worked at and thanked them. She said: “There is real comfort in knowing that his soul would be at peace seeing just how deeply loved and respected he is by this community.
“To everyone who commented about my dad as a maths teacher, he would have loved to see that. It means everything to know he gave the gift of education and shaped the lives of hundreds of students.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Amritsar, Kanwalpreet Singh, claimed the brother killed Sunil “out of greed” and to commit fraud. He told a press conference: “When they took the victim from his house, they gave him sleeping pills. After administering the pills, they struck him on the head with a baseball bat, causing a head injury and killing him.
“Afterwards, his son was present there and his wife also came. They tried to get rid of evidence. Satish Sharma, out of greed for money, prepared a forged power of attorney. Using that power of attorney, they made deals to sell a house.”
A fourth person, a property dealer, was also arrested and local police said they are looking for two other people believed to be involved in the death.
A spokesperson at Victoria’s education department and the school were the dad worked shared a touching message, saying: “Mr Sharma was a dedicated and valued member of the Diamond Valley college community. Our heartfelt sympathies and thoughts are with Mr Sharma’s family, friends, colleagues and students.”
