Gurugram, Oct 1 (IANS): The Gurugram Police arrested a criminal along with his associate who had allegedly murdered a district-level taekwondo player in November 2019 for rejecting his marriage proposal.

The district police had put a bounty of Rs 25,000 on his head in connection with the murder, officials told the media on Thursday.

The wanted criminal has been identified as Sombir, a resident of Jhajjar district in Haryana. His accomplice was identified as Jintender Nayak Bhopa of Dosa in Rajasthan.

Following inputs about the location of the criminals, the Gurugram Police nabbed them from Dosa in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

According to the police, Sombir, who is a wrestler, had killed Sarita, a 25-year-old taekwondo practitioner from Bhora Khurd village in Pataudi, Gurugram on November 12, 2019. He had been absconding since then.

A murder case was registered against the accused at Bilaspur police station in Gurugram.

"Recently on September 26, the duo had snatched a phone from a person in Dharuhera area in Rewari and had also demanded Rs 50 lakh as ransom amount from a shopkeeper identified as Balvaan Singh, a resident of Bilaspur in Gurugram and threatened him with dire consequence if he failed to pay the money. A separate case was filed against them at Dharuhera police station," ACP (crime) Preet Pal Sangwan said.

Five cases have already been registered against Sombir in Gurugram and Rewari districts, the police said.

"During interrogation, Sombir confessed that he had killed the woman after she refused to marry him. The accused allegedly shot her from point-blank range on her chest with a countrymade pistol. The victim reportedly died instantly," Sangwan said.

The family of the victim had alleged that the accused had been harassing her for a long time and the woman had earlier filed a complaint against Sombir.

"The accused will be taken on remand for further questioning," Sangwan added.