Police in Noida have cracked a murder case with the arrest of three men who allegedly killed a 24-year-old man over suspicions that he was having an illicit relationship with the wife of one of the accused. The victim, identified as Ajay Mukhiya, was a resident of a jhuggi in the Raipur Pushta area.
A Conspiracy Born from Suspicion and Anger
The investigation, led by Noida Deputy Commissioner of Police Yamuna Prasad, revealed that the prime accused, Ram Vachan Manjhi (28), was repeatedly informed about an alleged illicit relationship between his wife and his brother-in-law, Ajay Mukhiya. This led to frequent disputes between the two men. Despite warnings, the conflicts persisted and even turned violent on previous occasions.
Driven by anger and suspicion, Ram Vachan eventually conspired with his other brother-in-law, Sajan Manjhi alias Sajjan (35), to eliminate Ajay. Police noted that all three men involved were habitual drinkers, a factor the accused leveraged in their plan.
The Fateful Night and Gruesome Murder
The plan was executed on December 28. Sajan Manjhi called Ajay to the Raipur area under the pretext of drinking alcohol, where Ram Vachan was already present. The trio then moved to a secluded spot near Asgarpur village in Sector-128.
"At the isolated location, Ajay was made to consume excessive alcohol. When he became heavily intoxicated, the two accused took him in an e-rickshaw to another remote spot," stated DCP Yamuna Prasad. There, Sajan held Ajay's hands while Ram Vachan strangled him to death by pressing his neck and mouth. The attack proved fatal within minutes.
The Cover-Up and Eventual Crack
In a bid to conceal their crime, the accused initially buried the body in soil near the crime scene. The next day, to further hide the evidence, Ram Vachan enlisted the help of his friend, Ashok Manjhi (27).
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Shavya Goyal, explained, "The three wrapped the body in a plastic sack, loaded it onto Ashok's e-rickshaw, and dumped it into a drain along Jindal Farm Pushta Road." They hoped the flowing water would wash the body away, preventing identification.
To divert suspicion, the accused even pretended to search for Ajay alongside his wife and visited local police stations and outposts. However, after Ajay was officially reported missing, his body was discovered and identified on January 1.
Sustained interrogation led to Ram Vachan and Sajan confessing to the murder and revealing Ashok's role in disposing of the body. Police recovered the deceased's mobile phone, ATM card, and the e-rickshaw used to transport the body.
Station Officer Sumnesh Kumar confirmed that all three accused are natives of Samastipur district in Bihar and worked as e-rickshaw drivers in Noida. The police team involved in solving the case swiftly will be rewarded for their prompt action.
