UP suitcase murder case cracked, boyfriend held

A week after an unidentified body was found stuffed in a suitcase here, Uttar Pradesh's Hapur Police on Friday said they have cracked the case.

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The body belonged to a woman who was allegedly strangled to death by her partner after she demanded he return the Rs 5.5 lakh she had loaned him.

Satendra Yadav, a local of Delhi's Vinod Nagar, was arrested following which he confessed to the crime, they added.

The case came to light on May 30 when the police recovered the body of an unidentified woman stuffed inside a suitcase near a canal in Sikheda village under Pilkhuwa police station limits.

The woman was identified as Neelesh, a resident of Trilokpuri in Delhi.

According to the police, her body was discovered in a decomposed state with visible marks indicating strangulation.

Inspector Patneesh Kumar, in charge of the Pilkhuwa police station, said that during interrogation, Satendra admitted to being in a romantic relationship with Neelesh.

"Tensions had developed in their relationship last year during a trip to Patiala when Satendra began to suspect Neelesh of being involved with someone else. He said that her phone was frequently busy and attempts to check it were blocked by a lock," Kumar said.

"Meanwhile, Neelesh had loaned Satendra Rs 5.5 lakh, of which she was pressing him to return Rs 2 lakh. Instead of repaying her, Satendra had used the money to buy a car and was unable to return the amount, leading to frequent arguments," he added.

According to Satendra's confession, Neelesh visited his room on May 28.

Amid rising tension over the unpaid loan and his suspicions, he lost his temper and allegedly strangled her using her scarf. He then stuffed her body into a suitcase which was in his room.

Later that night, he drove to the Sikheda canal road, a route he frequently used to avoid toll taxes, and dumped the suitcase, the police official said.

"To cover his tracks, Satendra broke Neelesh's phone and threw it into a drain in Ghazipur," he added.

Neelesh's father, Ahivaran, had filed a missing person complaint at Delhi's Mayur Vihar police station when she failed to return home.

During the investigation, Satendra emerged as the prime suspect based on call records and last known location data.

"We have recovered the vehicle used in the crime, along with documents, a mobile phone, and other evidence. CCTV footage also supports the sequence of events described by the accused," Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh said, adding that a charge sheet will be filed soon.