Police renew appeal for information to rule out suspicious rod found near murder home

Police divers found a suspicious metal bar at the bottom of a dam about 100 metres from where Crows Nest woman Krishna Chopra was murdered.

Toowoomba Detective Senior Sergeant Paul McCusker said police divers found this torsion bar in a dam at the Crows Nest Golf club about 100m behind Krishna Chopra's home. It was found on February 3, a few days after police launched an investigation into the woman's murder.

DETECTIVES have renewed their appeal for witnesses to come forward to help rule out a suspicious metal rod as the weapon that killed Krishna Chopra.

Police divers located the item – a torsion bar – in a dam at the Crows Nest Golf Club about 100 metres from Krishna’s Park Road home.

It was found on February 3, four days after police discovered Krishna’s body inside her home.

Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch Detective Senior Sergeant Paul McCusker said the dam was emptied in December 2021.

This means the torsion bar had to have been placed in the water sometime in the past three months.

“All the dams at the golf course were searched and the bar was the only item found,” he said.

“It is extremely out of place and our extensive inquiries at the golf club have failed to locate any item like it or any person seeing it on the golf green.”

A QPS forensic team search a property in Pratten where Simon Jones lived. He is charged with murdering his mother-in-law Krishna Chopra. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Police allege 61-year-old Krishna Chopra was killed by her son-in-law Simon Jones sometime between late January 20 or early January 21.

It is further alleged that she suffered extensive head injuries.

Jones was charged with murder after he handed himself in to police on March 9.

Sgt McCusker said the investigation remained open and police were looking at whether Jones acted alone.

“What we are asking the public is that if anyone has discarded a torsion bar or a large piece of heavy metal into a dam while playing golf or while walking home, that they please come forward,” he said.

“You are not in any trouble but we obviously want to talk to you so we can discard this item as the weapon that might have been used.”

Krishna Chopra, who was murdered in Crows Nest in January 2022.

The original size of the bar has been shortened to 47cm in length, which may suggest it has been modified for a particular purpose.

The long-running investigation has been aided by extensive help from the public.

Dozens of people phoned Crime Stoppers when police made their first appeal for information about the torsion bar.

Police were further aided by an extensive community awareness program that included door knocking hundreds of homes in the area, hosting an outreach hub in Centenary Park and appeals via the media.

“It doesn’t matter how small (your information is), we would rather know the information and decide whether it is something that could assist us then not ever know it or find out in six months’ time,” Sgt McCusker said.

If you have any information for Investigators about the torsion bar phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Policelink on 131 444.