Witness in murder trial found dead with gunshot wound to head in Delhi

The identity of the deceased has been withheld since it could be a case of suicide, although no suicide note was recovered from his possession or the flat where the body was found. Police also did not clarify who lived in the flat or who owned it.

A 36-year-old real estate businessman was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head in a building in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur early Thursday, police said. The man’s body was in a flat on the fourth floor of the building, where he had allegedly gone for a party with at least three other persons, including a woman who was known to him. Police said the woman called the police control room around 4.45am on Thursday to inform them that the man had shot himself dead.

The identity of the deceased has been withheld since it could be a case of suicide, although no suicide note was recovered from his possession or the flat where the body was found. Police also did not clarify who lived in the flat or who owned it. (Representational image)

Senior police officers said they are probing the case as a potential suicide and murder. They are awaiting the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death and whether any foul play was involved. The officers said the man had a policeman posted for his security since he was a witness in a murder case.

The identity of the deceased has been withheld since it could be a case of suicide, although no suicide note was recovered from his possession or the flat where the body was found. Police also did not clarify who lived in the flat or who owned it.

A photograph circulating on social media purportedly showed that the building had the signboard of a real estate company. Whether the man ran that company or not, was also not clarified by the police.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Benita Mary Jaiker said on Thursday around 4.45am, a woman called the police and informed them that a man had come to the building for a party and he shot himself dead inside a fourth floor flat. A police team reached the building and found the man dead. He had a gunshot wound to the head and a revolver was found near his body.

The body was moved to a government hospital mortuary for autopsy, while a forensics team cordoned off the building and collected fingerprints and other evidence. The post-mortem examination was conducted after the deceased’s family members were informed about his death.

“The autopsy has been conducted and further inquiries are underway,” said Jaiker, who refused to share any details of the case.

According to the police, the man lived in south Delhi and initially, two policemen were deputed as his security cover. Later it was brought down to just a single policeman and that too only during the day. The constable was off duty when the man died in mysterious circumstances.at the time of death, the police said.