Mutilated body of 25-year-old man found near Palam railway station: Delhi cops

Police said the man, who was also HIV-positive, identified as homosexual, and they are probing if this may have played a role in the murder

A 25-year-old man was found brutally murdered in a vacant yard near the Palam railway station last week, with injuries to his face, head, and mutilation of his private parts, Delhi Police said on Monday.

The victim, identified as a resident of south Delhi’s Tigri and originally from Rajasthan, worked as an executive for an e-commerce website. No arrests have been made so far in the case, police said. (Representational image)

The victim, identified as a resident of south Delhi’s Tigri and originally from Rajasthan, worked as an executive for an e-commerce website. No arrests have been made so far in the case, police said.

Police said the man, who was also HIV-positive, identified as homosexual, and they are investigating whether his sexual orientation may have played a role in the murder.

Preliminary investigations suggest the murder occurred two days before the body was discovered on November 27. He was also reported missing at the Dwarka Sector 23 police station, police said.

An officer aware of the matter said that around 4.30pm on November 27, their control room received a call regarding a man lying dead near Palam railway station.

Officers from Delhi Cantonment police station – under whose jurisdiction the area fell – arrived at the scene and found that the man’s body had been severely mutilated.

“It was a horrific site. His private parts were mutilated… The injuries on his face and head appeared to be caused by a heavy object – likely a stone or brick. He had been struck multiple times,” the officer said adding that his mobile phone was recovered from the spot.

Using his phone, investigators identified the man and informed his family.

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Surendra Choudhary confirmed the incident and said, “We have registered a case on charges of murder and five teams are working round the clock to identify and nab the persons responsible for it.”

Investigators analysed CCTV footage from near the scene of crime and found that the victim was last seen alive on November 25. “Footage showed him going towards the yard around 5.30pm on November 25, followed by two other individuals. They were identified and questioned as well but their role has not been established so far,” the officer.

Investigators said that the victim is survived by his wife, parents, a brother and a sister.

“His family said that on November 25, he had gone to meet his relatives in Palam area. When he did not return and his phone was not available, they reported him on November 26,” the officer said.

Police later discovered through phone records and chats that he had been in relationships with men, a detail unknown to his family, although they were aware of his HIV status.

Investigators are doing a detailed examination of his phone to get clues in the case. “The fact that he was HIV positive and had relationships with men may have a bearing on the incident but nothing concrete has been found so far,” the officer said.

“We are examining his phone in detail for any leads. The possibility of his sexual orientation or HIV status being linked to the crime is being probed, but no definitive conclusions have been drawn yet,” a senior police officer said.