A 26-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was found dead in a vacant plot on Dhandra Road on Thursday. Police suspect that he died he of a drug overdose, while his family alleged that he was murdered.
Locals found the victim, Navneet Kumar, 26, of Dhandhra, lying dead in the plot with blood oozing from his eyes and mouth, and alerted the police. A syringe was found near the body. His auto-rickshaw was found abandoned near Jain Temple.
The victim was suffering from drug addiction and had been discharged from a de-addiction centre a few days ago. His family said that Navneet Kumar had left the house on Wednesday, but did not return home at night. “Someone murdered and dumped his body in the plot,” a family member said.
Joint commissioner of police (JCP, rural) Ravcharan Singh Brar said, “It seems to be a case of drug overdose. However, the cause of death will be ascertained once we receive the postmortem report from the Civil Hospital.”