E-Paper
Gaurav Chandel murder might be linked to carjacking: Police
The Noida and Ghaziabad police suspect that the murder of Gaur City resident Gaurav Chandel might be linked to a carjacking that took place on January 14.
The Noida and Ghaziabad police suspect that the murder of Gaur City resident Gaurav Chandel might be linked to a carjacking that took place on January 14.
A police official, who did not wish to be named, said some criminals had fled with a Ghaziabad resident’s Tiago car the same night Chandel’s SUV, KIA Seltos, was recovered from Akash Nagar, and the police are trying to identify the criminals.
The police are now focusing on several gangs involved in carjacking and suspect that a single gang was behind the two incidents. In this connection, the police have procured several vital CCTV camera footages. In the footages, two cars are seen entering the road in Akash Nagar where Chandel’s SUV was found. The police said the carjacking gang arrived in Chandel’s SUV, looted the Tiago and later took it away after leaving the SUV behind.
“We performed some checks and found that the spot from where the Tiago was looted is barely six minutes away from Akash Nagar. The Tiago was looted around 10.20pm on January 14, and Chandel’s SUV was found the same night at 10.27pm. The CCTV camera also shows similar-coloured cars entering a lane in the residential area in Akash Nagar. Footages from five CCTV cameras show the two cars being driven at a distance,” an official said.
“There is a high probability that the two cars seen in the CCTV footage are the ones involved in the two incidents, but it is yet to be confirmed. We have roped in the crime branch officials to track the criminals. Other teams are tracking about 179 criminal gangs involved in other crimes. As far as the modus operandi goes, the gang which took away the Tiago had used it for a crime til now,” Kalanidhi Naithani, senior superintendent of police (Ghaziabad), said.
The police have found a similarity in both the cases; both the victims in the two suspected carjacking incidents were hit by a weapon. According to the police, Chandel had sustained a lacerated wound at the back of his head after being hit by a weapon and was later shot at the back of the head when he probably tried to resist the attackers.
They added the 24-year-old Tiago driver, a resident of Avantika Extension in Ghaziabad, was also hit by a weapon. He was travelling from Noida Sector 62 and was overpowered by the gang near Mehrauli on NH-9 on January 14.
Meanwhile, after the recovery of Chandel’s SUV in Ghaziabad, the Noida unit of the UP special task force (UP-STF) recovered Chandel’s mobile phone which was missing since his murder. A passerby had allegedly picked up the mobile and was using it. However, the STF officials refused to comment on the phone’s recovery.
One of the officials who is part of the investigation in Chandel’s murder case said that the phone was switched off for some days. “We have recovered the mobile phone and are investigating the matter,” the official, who is not authorised to speak to media, said.
After the two recoveries, Chandel’s family, however, raised apprehension that the incident was an intentional murder.
“The police have also not shared any update on the investigation with us. We hope the police will solve the case soon,” Chandel’s sister, Shalini Chandel, said.
Raj Kumar Mishra, deputy superintendent of police (STF), said that police are working on gangs involved in carjacking cases in Delhi-NCR.
“The police have found Gaurav’s car in Ghaziabad. We have also accessed some CCTV footage in which the suspects were seen driving the same SUV as Gaurav’s.They are also seen chasing a Tiago. It appears the criminals snatched Tiago and abandoned the KIA before fleeing,” he added.
