30-year-old held in Delhi for killing neighbour in Jharkhand

Delhi Police arrested Sukhdev Murmu, 30, for strangling his neighbor in Jharkhand after he bragged about it while drinking in Delhi. Other suspects arrested too.

New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s crime branch on Sunday arrested a 30-year-old man from north Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar area, 12 days after he allegedly strangled his 32-year-old neighbour in his hometown in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj and fled the city. The accused was telling about the murder to someone in Delhi while consuming alcohol on Sunday, when a police informer overheard the story and told police, leading to the arrest, police said.

The victim’s body was discovered nine days after the murder, officers said (Photo for representation)

According to police, three men – Sukhdev Murmu alias Tala, the victim’s brother Babuji Marandi, and Mandal Tudu – allegedly strangled their neighbour earlier this month in Jharkhand following an altercation while consuming liquor. They then hid the body at a secluded place, fled the city, and came to Delhi.

The victim’s body was discovered nine days after the murder, officers said, adding that a case of kidnapping was registered at Borio police station in Sahibganj district on the basis of a complaint by his family. The deceased was identified as Champai Marandi, a resident of Sahibganj.

Murmu was arrested by Delhi Police on Sunday, and based on his interrogation, the other two were arrested by the Jharkhand Police.

“Murmu’s interrogation revealed that there was a property dispute between Champai and his brother Babuji, who held a grudge against him. On May 12, Babuji, Murmu and Tudu lured Champai to the forested area near their home on the pretext of consuming liquor. While drinking, an argument broke out and the three men killed him,” deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjeev Yadav said.

DCP Yadav said a case of kidnapping for murder and murder was registered at the Borio police station in Sahibganj on May 21, after Champai’s body was found in a forested area. As the three accused were last seen having alcohol with the victim, they were named in the FIR.

On Sunday, while Murmu was sitting with footpath dwellers and having alcohol near Yamuna Bazar Hanuman temple in Delhi, he told them how he and his associates killed their neighbour in their hometown. A passerby –- also a police informer –- alerted the crime branch police.

“Our team verified information about the murder from the Jharkhand police. After confirmation, the team members conducted a raid and arrested Murmu from the Yamuna Bazar on Sunday around 11am. A Jharkhand Police team reached Delhi and took Murmu’s custody from a Delhi court,” DCP Yadav said.