Sohna: Man’s mutilated body, severed arms found in Aravalli Hills

A 25-year-old man was brutally murdered in Sohna, with both his arms chopped off using a heavy sharp weapon, police said on Sunday

A 25-year-old man was brutally murdered in Sohna, with both his arms chopped off using a heavy sharp weapon, police said on Sunday. The mutilated body was discovered in the dense jungles of the Aravalli hills near Kherla village on Sunday morning.

Assistant commissioner of police (Sohna) Abhilaksh Joshi said that Raghav’s family had lodged a missing person complaint at Sadar Sohna police station on October 4. (Representational image)

The victim, Atul Raghav, a resident of Kherla, had been missing since 2 pm on October 3, police said. In December 2023, he was accused of attacking a friend, David, by hitting him in the head with an axe. Investigators revealed that four criminal cases were registered against Raghav, including three for theft and one for assault. Police said that Raghav had a suspicion that his wife was involved in an affair with his associate, David. Raghav was facing trial for the assault of David. According to police, David, along with another individual, are suspects in Raghav’s murder, which is believed to be an act of revenge against Raghav over the 2023 assault.

Assistant commissioner of police (Sohna) Abhilaksh Joshi said that Raghav’s family had lodged a missing person complaint at Sadar Sohna police station on October 4. “Following the complaint, we launched an investigation and soon suspected that Raghav had been murdered. Joint teams of police and the local community were formed to search the Aravalli jungles,” Joshi said.

Santram Khatana, the deceased’s neighbour, saidthat two unidentified men arrived at Raghav’s house around 2pm on October 3 and called him out. “Raghav left with them on their motorcycle, and that was the last time he was seen. When he was not reachable, his family, along with villagers and the police, began searching for him. His mutilated body was finally recovered on Sunday morning,” Khatana said.

The body was located on Sunday, with both arms severed at the shoulder, police added. Joshi said, “It seems a heavy sharp weapon might have been used. However, the murder weapon is yet to be recovered.” Police are conducting raids to locate and arrest the suspects, including David, who are currently on the run, officers said, adding that the name of the second suspect will be withheld till the probe is finished.

On the complaint of the deceased’s family, an FIR was registered against two suspects including David under sections 3(5) (common intention) and 103(1) (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Sadar Sohna police station on Sunday.