Faridabad: Woman, fiancé held for killing ex-boyfriend who urged her to elope

Faridabad police say victim was lured and strangled after threatening to leak chats; two others, including fiancé’s brother, still absconding.

A woman and her fiancée were arrested from Delhi on Monday for allegedly murdering her boyfriend after luring him to Faridabad because he was putting pressure on her to elope with him, said Faridabad police officials.

Police say victim was strangled after being called to meet by his girlfriend; suspects tracked using phone records, body found near drain. (File photo)

The suspects were identified as Rashmi Thakur, also known as Lakshmi, (29) and Keshav Kumar (26). They are both residents of Delhi — Mithapur and Santosh Nagar in Burari, respectively.

Keshav’s brother, Gaurav, and their friend Prashant Kumar, a Rajokri resident, are still on the run, said police.

The victim was identified as Chandar Kumar, 37, of East Vinod Nagar in Kalyanpuri, Delhi. He was an insurance agent at Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.

Kumar’s body — with injuries on the head and strangulation marks on the neck — was recovered at 7.45am on Sunday from a drain near a cremation ground in Etmadpur, Faridabad.

It was discovered after locals alerted police at 7.15 am about an abandoned motorcycle, with both of its registration plates broken, beside the drain.

A senior official of Faridabad crime branch privy to the investigation said that Chandar and Rashmi had been in a relationship from 2022. “However, Rashmi got engaged to Keshav a month back. Rashmi worked in a private insurance firm in Gurugram and Keshav corporate firm in Delhi,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Chandar started putting pressure on Rashmi to elope with him. He also started threatening that he will leak their personal chats and photographs to everyone if she doesn’t agree to,” he added.

Unable to handle the pressure, Rashmi shared the issue with Keshav. “The duo met on Dhanteras after which Keshav asked Rashmi to lure Chander to a secluded place to settle the matter,” the police officer said.

Investigators said Kehsav also roped in Gaurav and their common friend Prashant into the plan, and, accordingly, Rashmi contacted Chander on Friday, asking him to meet and go for a long ride. However, Chandar cancelled the plan due to work pressure.

Police said that finally at 11.45 pm on Saturday, Rashmi reached the area of Chandar’s residence and the duo left on a motorcycle. They reached Etmadpur at 1.30am on Sunday, with Keshav, Gaurav and Prashant following the two the whole way.

At Etmadpur, the three confronted Chandar which resulted in a heated altercation. They then assaulted him.

Police said Gaurav and Prashant hit him in the head with a brick and Keshav used a rope he had brought with him to strangle Chandar to death. They broke the number plates of Chandar’s bike and took all his belongings with them in an attempt to hide his identity but police traced his identity with the help of the vehicle’s chassis number. They then tracked the suspects with help of call detail records (CDRs).

Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police, said on a complaint by Chandar’s brother, Madan Gopal, a murder case was registered against the suspects at Palla police station. The body has been handed over to the family after autopsy.

“Both the accused will be produced before court on Tuesday for being taken on police remand for interrogation. Raids are on to nab the two others who are on the run,” he added.