Ghaziabad: An 80-year-old man was brutally tortured, gagged with a towel, and murdered inside his own residence in Uttranchal Vihar Colony, Loni Border, on Wednesday. The victim's body was discovered on the ground floor, with his hands and feet bound by a rope. Police suspect that the assailant first assaulted him and then slit his throat.
Victim Identified as Ramesh Chandra Sharma
The deceased, Ramesh Chandra Sharma, was a widower living in a three-storey house in A Block of the colony with his two sons, Vikas and Gaurav. Vikas, the elder son, has been separated from his wife for nearly a decade and works at a loan consultancy firm. Gaurav, the younger son, is unmarried and employed at a private company in Chawri Bazar, Delhi.
Sequence of Events
On the day of the incident, Gaurav left for work as usual. Vikas departed for Delhi around 2:30 PM, leaving his father alone at home. When Vikas returned at 7:30 PM, he found the front door locked. After multiple unanswered calls to his father, he went to the back of the house and discovered the door ajar. “I entered and found my father lying in a pool of blood in a room on the ground floor. I rushed him to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead,” Vikas told police. He added that nothing was stolen from the house.
Police Investigation Underway
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari stated that the body has been sent for autopsy. The victim's feet were tied with a clothesline, and a towel was stuffed in his mouth to muffle his screams. Forensic teams have collected fingerprints from the scene. Although some items were found disarrayed, no theft has been reported, ruling out robbery as a motive.
“Ramesh was alone at home. The main gate was locked from inside, but the back door was open. We suspect the accused entered through the main gate and fled via the back door. Initial findings suggest personal enmity, and the perpetrator likely knew the victim,” said a senior police officer involved in the investigation.
A case of murder has been registered against unidentified persons. Police are questioning family members and scrutinizing CCTV footage for clues.
