Body of Delhi ACP's son pushed into Haryana canal recovered; main accused held

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has recovered the body of the son of an assistant commissioner of police who was allegedly pushed into a canal in Haryana by two of his friends over a financial dispute, officials on Sunday said.

The main accused Vikas Bharadwaj has also been arrested, they said.

The body of the ACP's son was allegedly thrown into the canal by two men, including a clerk working with a lawyer in the Tis Hazari Court, while returning from a wedding, police said.

26-year-old Lakshya Chauhan had gone to attend a marriage function in Haryana's Sonepat on Monday along with two of his friends -- Vikas Bharadwaj and Abhishek, police had said on Thursday.

After he did not return home the next day, his father Yashpal Singh, posted as ACP (Operations) in Outer-north Delhi, lodged a missing complaint on Tuesday, they said.

The complaint was later converted into an abduction FIR when the police suspected some foul play during investigation, an official said.

The entire incident was unearthed on Friday after 19-year-old Abhishek, a resident of Narela, was arrested and questioned, prompting the police to add Section 302 (murder) of the IPC in the FIR which was earlier registered as an abduction case at Samaipur Badli police station.

'Abhishek was nabbed on Friday and on interrogation, it was revealed that on the noon of January 22 (Monday), Vikas, the lawyer's clerk, contacted him and asked him to come with him to attend a marriage function in Bhiwani,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh said.

Vikas had told Abhishek that Lakshya, who also practices in the Tis Hazari Court, had taken a loan from him and when he asked Lakshya to return his money then he misbehaved with him.

The duo hatched a plan to eliminate Lakshya, deciding to throw him into the Munak canal in Haryana.

'They started on Monday afternoon from Mukarba Chowk where Lakshya met Abhishek in a car. Abhishek sat inside the car with Lakshya and later Vikas also joined them,' the DCP said.

The crime took place during the return journey.

'By late night, they reached the marriage function in Bhiwani and left after 12 am,' the DCP said.

Stopping at Panipat, the trio got out of the car to relieve themselves.

'Seizing the opportunity, Abhishek and Vikas allegedly pushed Lakshya into the canal and fled the scene in his car. Vikas later dropped Abhishek off in Narela before making his escape,' the DCP said.

The police had subsequently added sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC in the FIR, based on the evidence gathered, said the officer.

The DCP said the main accused Vikas was arrested on Sunday and the car used in the crime was also recovered.

'The body of the deceased was recovered from the canal near Samalkha in Haryana,' he added.

Abhishek's three-day police custody remand was taken following his arrest, police said.