New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS): A 31-year-old Delhi man, who had left a restaurant after informing his family about an urgent meeting in Gurugram, was allegedly murdered by his former colleague and her partner over a suspected financial dispute, and his body dumped in a drain there, police said.
The deceased, Yuvraj Singh Manchanda, was reportedly due to get married in October.
On September 6, Manchanda had gone shopping with his sisters at Lajpat Nagar market for his wedding. The family later stopped for food at the Golden Dragon restaurant at around 4.15 p.m. After some time there, he told his sisters that he needed to meet his former colleague in Gurugram and left the restaurant. His sisters subsequently returned home by cab.
According to Manchanda’s family, he spoke to them on the phone at around 7 p.m. and assured them that he would be home by 10 p.m. However, he did not return as expected. Repeated attempts by his family to contact him were unsuccessful.
On September 8, at 4.16 p.m., the family received what they said was Manchanda’s final WhatsApp message. His mobile phone was switched off shortly afterwards.
After being unable to establish contact with him, the family approached the Lajpat Nagar police station and filed a missing-person report on September 11.
The family has alleged that Gurugram police had recovered Manchanda’s body on September 10 but did not inform them. They further claimed that details of the unidentified body were not uploaded on the Zonal Integrated Police Network (ZIPNET), a government platform used to circulate information about unidentified bodies, within the required timeframe.
According to the family, the body was cremated by authorities on September 14, two days before they were informed about his death.
Under the applicable procedure, authorities can proceed with cremation of an unidentified body after the prescribed waiting period if attempts to establish the identity, including circulation through designated missing-person networks, remain unsuccessful.
Manchanda’s family has sought preservation and access to his post-mortem report, investigation documents, photographs, DNA samples and personal belongings.
The family said Manchanda was the sole earning member of the household. His father is paralysed, while his mother has a heart condition.
During the investigation, police found that Manchanda’s last known phone conversation was with Vats, his former colleague whom he had gone to meet in Gurugram. Her phone was subsequently found switched off. Investigators then examined CCTV footage, technical evidence and information from the workplaces associated with Manchanda and the suspect.
Vats subsequently emerged as a key suspect. Police later traced a new mobile number allegedly being used by her and arrested her in Uttarakhand. Her partner was also arrested in connection with the case.
During interrogation, the two accused allegedly told police that they had killed Manchanda and disposed of his body in a drain near their residence in Gurugram.
Police suspect that a financial dispute may have been behind the alleged murder. However, Manchanda’s family has claimed that Vats has not disclosed the actual reason for the killing.
The accused are being questioned to establish the motive, reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the exact circumstances surrounding the alleged murder.
Both accused have been sent to five days of police custody as the investigation continues.
