Man killed, dismembered body dumped in Yamuna

A missing person’s complaint in Dwarka led the police to unearth a brutal murder in which a man was killed, his body chopped into pieces with a machete, and dumped into the Yamuna, officials said on Monday.

The police arrested four persons, including a woman and kingpin Happy, alias Suraj (29), in connection with the killing that took place on February 18.

Investigation revealed that the accused sent messages from the victim’s mobile phone to his staff, asking them to close the canteen and go home. They also sent text messages to his family stating that he was going on a vacation to Goa and should not be disturbed, the police said.

The victim, Anroop Gupta (48), ran a canteen at Chhattisgarh Sadan in Dwarka. The incident came to light on February 23 when his brother reported him missing since February 18. His white car was also missing, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said.

The family informed the police that Gupta lived separately, had no known disputes and was fond of wearing gold rings and bracelets. After the complaint, a dedicated team was formed. It scrutinised CCTV footage from toll plazas, which showed his car on the Yamuna Expressway on the night of February 19-20, the DCP said.

The CCTV footage showed his vehicle going towards Vrindavan and returning within a few hours, raising suspicion. Further examination of CCTV footage at Chhattisgarh Sadan showed that Gupta booked a bike ride on February 18 and left the premises, while his car remained parked there, Singh said.

On February 18, Happy invited Gupta for a party at his rented home in Matiala Extension. There, Happy, along with his associates, tied Gupta with ropes and beat him with sticks, demanding money, the cop said.

Gupta told them that his gold rings and bracelet were in his SUV parked at the Chhattisgarh Niwas.

The accused forcibly took the car keys, brought the vehicle to Matiala and retrieved the gold ornaments. However, when Gupta refused to give them money, they stabbed him to death after brutally assaulting him.

"In a shocking act of brutality, Happy procured a machete and cut the body into pieces. The body parts were packed in three plastic bags, which were transported by using Gupta's SUV. They disposed of the bags in the Yamuna near Vrindavan," the officer added.

In a bid to mislead investigators, they kept Gupta's mobile phone inside the car and did not switch it off. They also sent messages from the victim's phone to staff at the Chhattisgarh Niwas canteen asking them to close the outlet and go home.