The Hindu : New Delhi News : Two held for teenager’s murder

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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New Delhi

Two held for teenager’s murder

Staff Reporter

PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

THE ACCUSED: Sanchit Sachdeva murder accused Harish Rawat (left) and Surinder Singh Rawat (right) in custody at the Hauz Khas police station in New Delhi on Tuesday. –

NEW DELHI: A retired Indian Navy officer and a son of an ex-Serviceman have been arrested by the Delhi police in connection with the sensational murder of 18-year-old Sanchit Sachdeva at his Lodhi Colony residence here this past Friday.

The accused – 53-year-old Surinder Singh Rawat and 29-year-old Harish Rawat – had known the victim for the past seven years when he used to stay in Nauroji Nagar. After the Sachdeva family shifted to their present address in Lodhi Colony recently, the accused continued to visit Sanchit when his parents were away at work.

Young Sanchit, who had appeared for his Class XII Board examinations recently, was found dead with a head injury and multiple stab wounds when his mother Preeti Sachdeva, who works at the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, returned home this past Friday evening. Sanchit’s father R. K. Sachdeva is a personal assistant to a Bharat Petroleum official.

While inspecting the scene of crime on Friday, the police noticed that the entry into the house had been friendly, suggesting that the assailants were well known to the victim. The assailants had also ransacked the house and decamped with cash, jewellery and a Zen Estilo car.

“Investigations revealed that one Harish Rawat of Nauroji Nagar – who used to visit Sanchit in the absence of his parents – had not returned home since the murder. It was also learnt that Harish did not have a regular source of income and did not enjoy a good reputation in the area. Raids were mounted at several places in and around the Capital and Harish was eventually arrested in his native village in Uttarakhand on Monday morning,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H. G. S. Dhaliwal at a press conference here on Tuesday evening.

During interrogation, Harish purportedly confessed to his involvement in the brutal murder and also revealed the name of his accomplice, Surinder Rawat, who was then arrested from his Nauroji Nagar residence. “Harish told his interrogators that he was in dire need of money and thus hatched a plan to eliminate Sanchit and involved Surinder too in the conspiracy. The two reached Sanchit’s house around noon on Friday and attacked him with an iron rod and then stabbed him with a knife. The duo then made off with some cash, jewellery and the car,” said Mr. Dhaliwal.

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