Skeletal remains of kidnapped man recovered, one held

The skeletal remains of an east Delhi businessman, believed to be kidnapped a month ago, were recovered from Haryana’s Panipat district on Thursday.

Victim Naresh Sahni was kidnapped and killed so that two persons could escape returning borrowed money to him, police said.

Suspects Vijay and Lalit had hired two persons, one being their brother-in-law, to eliminate Naresh from whom they had borrowed Rs 3.5 lakh.

While the three suspects belonging to one family continue to be on the run, police have arrested one Rajnish Mishra for the murder, police said in a release on Thursday.

As per plan, Naresh was called to Panipat to collect his money on January 26. “The four suspects offered him sedative-laced tea after which he fell unconscious. They then smashed his head with bricks and dumped the body in a pit filled with water,” said police.

Meanwhile, Naresh’s wife approached the local police station in Vivek Vihar and had lodged a missing complaint.

Police began efforts to track the suspects and recently narrowed down on Rajnish’s location in UP’s Pilibhit district.

A police team was dispatched to Pilibhit on Saturday, but Rajnish could be nabbed only three days later. Police said he has confessed to his crime.

Only a week ago, the suspect had feared that the body would be discovered and had revisited the pit where the body had been dumped.

But he was relieved when he found the body decaying inside the pit, said police.
Police said they have recovered the skeletal remains and clothes of the victim from the spot. A hunt is on for the other suspects.

Meanwhile, Rajnish, 22, told police that he and his accomplice Ranjeet Roy were promised Rs 1.5 lakh for helping to carry out the murder. They were, however, yet to be handed over the money.