Man murders colleague, buries body in empty house in RK Puram in Delhi
The victim Mahesh Kumar, 28, and the accused, Anish Kumar, worked at national mapping agency Survey of India
A 24-year-old man killed his colleague, wrapped the body in plastic bags, and buried it in the backyard of an empty house in New Delhi’s RK Puram, police officers aware of the case said on Wednesday, adding that the accused resorted to murder to avoid repaying a ₹9 lakh loan he had taken from the victim.
Investigators said that after the family of victim Mahesh Kumar, 28, reported him missing on August 29, Anish Kumar, the accused, tried to mislead the family by using Mahesh’s phone to set up a WhatsApp status that suggested that his disappearance was linked to his inability to repay a debt of ₹65 lakh that he had accumulated.
Anish was arrested for the murder on September 2, police said, adding that he led the police to the site where Mahesh’s body was buried. Police also recovered ₹5 lakh in cash, two vehicles used in the crime, and an iron rod — the murder weapon.
Giving details of the case, deputy police commissioner (southwest) Manoj C said Mahesh, originally from Jhajjar in Haryana, worked at national mapping agency Survey of India, and at a yet-to-be-determined time, loaned his colleague Anish ₹9 lakh.
However, investigators said, Anish was not repaying the money, despite repeated prodding by Mahesh. Anish was also angry at Mahesh for speaking to his girlfriend, and for lewd remarks the latter purportedly passed at her.
On August 28 in the afternoon, police said, Mahesh told his family that he was going to visit Anish at his RK Puram Sector 2 house — the last time his family had any contact with him. The next day, his brother Manesh Kumar reported him missing, and said that Mahesh was last known to visit Anish.
Anish later told Mahesh’s family that after the visit, he left to meet to meet another person, leaving his car and keys with him, but the family suspected something amiss as minutes after their conversation with Anish, Mahesh’s WhatsApp status was updated to claim that he was ₹65 lakh in debt, and was “leaving” but would return and reply.
The family said they were unaware of the debt.
Since he was the last person to have met Mahesh, police picked up Anish for questioning, who initially claimed that Mahesh was taking money from people on the pretext of getting them jobs in Survey of India, and had amassed ₹65 lakh this way, but was unable to provide them jobs and was thus having to pay them back. But under sustained questioning, police said, Anish confessed to the murder.
“There was no proof to back Anish’s allegations... When he was interrogated about his own role in this alleged job scam, Anish broke down and confessed to killing Mahesh,” said an investigator aware of the matter, declining to be named.
Anish told police that he took ₹9 lakh from Mahesh and did not want to pay it back. He also harboured a grudge against Mahesh for speaking to his girlfriend.
Investigators said Anish planned Mahesh’s murder over a period of 20 days, and decided to use the house allotted to a multi-task staffer working with Survey of India, but was lying empty pending renovation, to dispose of the body
“Anish managed to get the keys to the house to hide the body. He planned where he would get the weapon for murder and polythene bags to pack the body... He bought the weapon — an iron rod — a few days before the murder,” a second investigator said, also declining to be named
On August 28, Anish told police, he called Mahesh to his house on the pretext of returning his money and attacked him fatally with an iron pipe. He then shifted the body to the empty house a day later.
“He dug an area in the backyard where sewer work was underway and buried the body,” the second investigator said.