Chhatarpur : Farmhouse caretaker killed over ₹10k loan refusal, driver held

The incident came to light on Saturday morning when other staffers at the farmhouse noticed the house doors open and the victim missing

Published on: Jul 28, 2025, 12:29:12 IST

By Jignasa Sinha

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A day after the body of a 42-year-old caretaker was found inside a septic tank at a farmhouse in South Delhi’s Chhatarpur , police on Sunday said the man was allegedly killed by a colleague—who attacked him with a hammer after he refused to lend ₹10,000.

The owner of the farmhouse was out of Delhi at the time, and the victim had been alone on Friday. (Getty Images)

According to police, the victim, Sita Ram, worked as the domestic help and caretaker for the farmhouse. The accused, identified as 47-year-old Chandra Prakash, worked as a driver at the same farmhouse and was arrested in the Palam area, police added.

“The accused confessed to the murder and stated that he had asked Ram to give him ₹10,000 because he needed it for some work. However, when Ram refused, the accused decided to kill him,” said Ankit Chauhan, deputy commissioner of police (South).

The incident came to light on Saturday morning when other staffers at the farmhouse noticed the house doors open and Ram missing. The owner of the farmhouse was out of Delhi at the time, and Ram had been alone on Friday.

A missing person’s complaint was filed after the staff failed to locate him. “Based on the missing report, the police immediately initiated a search operation. During the course of the search and inquiry, his body was traced and recovered from the septic tank of the farmhouse. The Crime Team and FSL were called for inspection. Subsequently, a case of murder was lodged,” said DCP Chauhan.

During the investigation, police found that Chandra Prakash was also missing. Officers scanned CCTV footage and mounted surveillance on the suspect. “Raids were conducted, and Prakash was held from the Palam area,” said a senior police officer.

Further questioning of staffers and the farmhouse owner is underway, and police said the investigation is continuing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jignasa Sinha
Jignasa Sinha is a Special Correspondent at Hindustan Times in New Delhi. With more than six years of reporting experience, she covers crime and policing in the national capital. Her beats also include Delhi prisons, the Delhi Fire Services and Delhi courts, while she regularly reports on gender, labour and social justice. Over the course of her career, Jignasa has reported on major criminal investigations, international crime syndicates, high-profile cyber fraud cases, law-and-order developments, protests, disasters and public institutions. Her reporting combines breaking news with in-depth, long form, human interest stories that examine the human impact of public policy, policing and the criminal justice system. In addition to reporting for the newspaper, she contributes to the Hindustan Times website and app, and plays an active role in coordinating on-ground coverage of major developments and breaking news across Delhi. Before joining Hindustan Times, Jignasa worked at The Indian Express newspaper in New Delhi, where she spent five years covering crime, Delhi airport, courts and health. She began her journalism career as an intern at an AI magazine in Bengaluru while pursuing her postgraduate diploma in multimedia journalism at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media.Read More

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