NEW DELHI: A decomposed body with a tattoo reading "Amit-Kiran", found stuffed inside mattresses and blankets in a plastic sack outside a factory in west Delhi's Moti Nagar area in April, led police to unravel a killing allegedly triggered by a suspected illicit relationship, resulting in the arrest of the victim's brother and sister-in-law, an official said on Tuesday.
Accused Gopal (32) and his wife Soma, also known as Seema (35), were arrested after a probe lasting over two months. During the investigation, police analysed CCTV footage from more than 300 cameras, issued over 200 hue-and-cry notices, and carried out raids across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the official said.
The case surfaced on April 4 after police were alerted about a suspicious white plastic sack lying outside a factory gate on Rama Road, near Prem Nagar Fatak. On checking the bag, police found a decomposed male body wrapped in two mattresses and two blankets. The victim’s legs were tied with a mobile phone charger cable, officials said.
The body was sent for post-mortem examination, which revealed multiple bruises on the neck, a fractured hyoid bone, and a blunt-force injury to the head. Doctors concluded that the cause of death was asphyxia due to manual strangulation, accompanied by head trauma, and ruled the death as homicidal in nature. During the examination, investigators also discovered a tattoo reading “Amit-Kiran” on the victim’s right arm after the decomposed skin layer was removed. Police said the tattoo became a key lead in efforts to identify the deceased.
A murder case was subsequently registered, and investigators are probing the possibility that the victim was killed elsewhere before his body was dumped at the spot. A special team carried out extensive inquiries in labour colonies and slum clusters across various parts of Delhi-NCR and examined footage from over 300 CCTV cameras.
During the probe, police identified an e-cart that was allegedly used to transport the body. The driver, along with two labourers who had moved the mattresses and blankets, was traced and questioned. Their statements led investigators to a rented accommodation in Indrapuri, Loni in Ghaziabad. A forensic inspection of the premises led to the recovery of blood-stained exhibits, police said.
Persistent investigation eventually established the identity of the deceased as Amit Kumar. Police later discovered that the rented accommodation was occupied by the deceased's brother, Gopal, and his wife, Soma. According to investigators, the couple vacated the premises immediately after the incident and went into hiding. Technical surveillance, an analysis of the call detail records, IMEI tracking and a verification of relatives and associates helped police trace their movements.
Police arrested the couple on June 15 near the railway line in Shiv Basti on Rama Road. During interrogation, the accused allegedly said that tensions had developed due to a suspected illicit relationship between the deceased and Soma, which had strained family relations. Police suspect that this alleged relationship may have been the motive behind the murder.
Gopal has been remanded to police custody for further interrogation and recovery of evidence, while Soma has been sent to judicial custody. Police said further investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events and collect additional evidence in the case. (With agency inputs)
