UPSC aspirant murdered in Delhi; woman among 3 held as police unravel chilling plot

New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) In a chilling case, Delhi Police have cracked the brutal murder of a 32-year-old UPSC aspirant whose charred body was found in a Gandhi Vihar flat earlier this month, an official said, adding that three persons -- including a 21-year-old forensic science student -- have been arrested for allegedly strangling the victim, setting his body on fire and staging the scene as an accidental blaze to destroy evidence.

The police have identified the arrested accused as Amrita Chauhan (21), Sumit Kashyap (27) and Sandeep Kumar (29), all residents of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Investigators said they allegedly killed the victim, Ram Kesh Meena, and later poured oil, ghee and alcohol on the body before opening an LPG cylinder regulator to trigger a fire and mislead investigators.

“This was a cold, calculated and sensational murder. The accused attempted to make it look like a fire accident, but our team uncovered the conspiracy through technical surveillance, CCTV footage and field work,” a senior police officer said.

The case came to light earlier this month, on October 6, when the police received a fire call from a house in Gandhi Vihar.

Fire tenders doused the flames, and a police team, along with FSL experts, found a deeply charred body inside the flat. The deceased was soon identified as Meena, a UPSC aspirant residing in the room.

Initially, an FIR under the fire-related provisions of the BNS was registered. But suspicion grew after CCTV footage revealed two masked men entering the building, followed by a woman and another man leaving around 2:57 a.m. — shortly before the fire broke out.

Investigators analysed technical data and found Amrita Chauhan's mobile location near the crime scene at the time of the incident. “Her presence at that hour, combined with the CCTV movement, made her a prime suspect. We intensified technical surveillance and tracked her to Moradabad,” an official said.

Police teams conducted multiple raids before apprehending Amrita on October 18. During sustained questioning, she allegedly confessed, naming ex-boyfriend Sumit Kashyap and his associate Sandeep Kumar as co-conspirators.

At her instance, the police recovered a hard disk, a trolley bag and the victim’s shirt. Eventually, Sumit was arrested on October 21, followed by Sandeep on October 23. Two mobile phones were also seized.

Police said Amrita and the victim had been in a relationship and were living together. She later learned that Meena had allegedly recorded obscene videos and stored them on a hard disk, refusing to delete them despite her repeated requests.

“She claimed she felt trapped and humiliated. She then involved her ex-boyfriend, who was enraged and decided to take revenge,” an investigating official said.

Police added that Amrita — being a forensic science student and an avid viewer of crime-based web series — allegedly planned the method of execution to resemble an accidental gas-cylinder fire.

Sumit, who works as an LPG cylinder distributor, allegedly opened the cylinder regulator and used a lighter to ignite the blaze. After staging the scene, the accused allegedly fled with the hard disk, laptops and belongings of the deceased, locking the iron gate from outside after removing its netting to make it appear tamper-proof.

“The manner in which they attempted to mislead the investigation was disturbing. But the sequence fell apart once we matched the timeline, technical data and local intelligence. It was only a matter of time before the conspiracy was nailed,” a senior police officer said.

Police said further investigation is underway and more digital evidence is being analysed.

“All three accused are in custody. We have recovered the hard disk, destroyed-scene material and digital devices. The case is now moving forward with strong technical and forensic backing,” North District DCP Raja Banthia said.

--IANS

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