Live-in partner among three held for killing UPSC aspirant whose charred body was found in Delhi flat

New Delhi: Days after the charred body of a 32-year-old UPSC aspirant was found in his flat in Gandhi Vihar area, the Delhi Police has arrested three persons including his live-in partner in connection with the murder, sources said on Sunday.

The 21-year-old woman, pursuing BSc in Forensic Science, her former boyfriend and their associate, all residents of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested, they said.

"The woman, who had been in a live-in relationship with the victim, conspired with the two men to kill him and later set his body on fire to make it appear as an accidental blaze," said a police source.

The deceased, Ramkesh Meena, was living on the fourth floor of a building in Gandhi Vihar.

"On October 6, police received information about a fire incident in the flat due to AC blast. Fire tenders doused the flames and recovered a badly burnt body from the room. Initially, a case was registered under relevant provisions and investigation was launched," the source said.

CCTV footage revealed that on the night of October 5 and 6, two men with their faces covered entered the building, and around 2.57 am, a woman was seen leaving with one of them. The fire broke out shortly after their departure, the source said.

"During the investigation, call detail records of the woman showing her presence near the crime scene raised suspicion. Multiple raids were conducted in Moradabad, and she was arrested on October 18. She confessed to the crime and named her two accomplices," he added.

Subsequently, her two accomplices were also arrested.

The woman told investigators that Meena had recorded her obscene videos and refused to delete them. She shared this with her ex-boyfriend, who became enraged and decided to eliminate Meena, the sources said.

The police sources said the trio strangled Meena before pouring oil, ghee and liquor on the body. The woman's ex-boyfriend, who worked as an LPG distributor, opened a gas cylinder's valve and set it on fire, causing an explosion. They then fled with the victim's hard disk, laptops and other belongings.

Police recovered a hard disk, a trolley bag, the victim's shirt and two mobile phones from the accused, the sources said, adding further investigation is underway in the case.