The Hindu : New Delhi News : Seven-month-old murder case solved

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Seven-month-old murder case solved

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 23. A teenager has been arrested by the South-West Delhi police in connection with the kidnapping-cum-murder of a 20-year-old man, who went missing from Kapashera in South-West Delhi seven months ago. While three of the other accused are in Ghaziabad jail, a hunt is on to nab the fifth accused.

According to the police, a missing report was lodged at Kapashera police about Harish, a resident of Samalka village in Kapashera, on November 7, 2003. Harish had left his house in his Maruti van, which he used to drive on a hire basis, on November 5 and did not return. Later, a case of kidnapping was registered at Kapashera police station.

A week after he was reported missing, the police came to know that the Maruti van, in which Harish was last seen, had been impounded by the Punjabi Bagh police and was lying in the police station premises. A crime team reached there but could not lift finger-prints from the spot.

On December 16, 2003, the police came to know that Udyog Vihar police in neighbouring Gurgaon had found a body of a young man near a crematorium. However, the body had been cremated as unclaimed. A team, comprising Head Constable Vijay Pal and others, went to Gurgaon and, with the help of the photograph, established the identity of the body as that of Harish.

Inquiries further revealed that five persons had hired the Maruti van on November 5, 2003, from Samalka in the evening. The hirers first went to India Gate and then to the crematorium at Carterpuri in Gurgaon where they stabbed Harish with a big knife and also strangulated him with a clutch wire. The occupants then dumped Harish's body there and left for Delhi.

The police said the alleged killers decided to dispose of the vehicle immediately. However, when they came on Rohtak Road in West Delhi, a patrol motorcycle signalled them to stop. They, however, fled only to be caught in a traffic snarl-up on the route. They then decided to turn towards the Punjabi Bagh Club. One of the occupants then suggested that they should abandon vehicle as the police would come looking for them. Later, the Punjabi Bagh police brought the vehicle to the police station.

In the course of investigation, the police managed to trace the place, near Fun-n-Food village in Kapashera, from where the vehicle had been hired. On Tuesday, the police spotted a teenager and detained him for questioning. He allegedly confessed to having been involved in the incident along with Rakesh, Dharmender, Phool Singh, Narender and Raju. It came to light that Rakesh, Dharmender and Phool Singh are in Ghaziabad jail in connection with another case. Rakesh is an alleged bad character of Udyog Vihar police station and has been involved in other criminal cases.

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