Food delivery executive held for murdering a man to steal his mobile phone in Ghaziabad

The incident took place last Sunday, and the victim, identified as Suraj Kannaujiya, 35, was discovered dead by locals two days later

Police arrested a food delivery executive on Saturday for allegedly killing a man to steal his mobile phone in Ghaziabad, police said on Sunday.

The suspect allegedly lured the victim to a forest behind Sihani village, pretending to offer a ride home, and attempted to steal the phone. (Representative Image)

The incident took place last Sunday, and the victim, identified as Suraj Kannaujiya, 35, was discovered dead by locals two days later.

Police said that Suraj worked as a washerman in Rajnagar Extension and lived in the Golden Tyagi locality for 12 years with his elder brother and sister-in-law.

Meanwhile, the suspect was identified as Prashant Prajapati, 26, a resident of Noor Nagar in the Sihani area of Ghaziabad, police said.

The murder came to the attention of the police on October 10 when a passerby found the body in the bushes on an empty plot near Sihani village.

“After contacting his family, his brother told police that Suraj had been missing since 10 pm on Sunday but they did not file a missing complaint. Suraj’s brother Surendra Kannaujiya filed a complaint saying his brother had been murdered by an unknown assailant. Police began an investigation and arrested Prajapati after gathering evidence from surveillance and CCTV cameras,” Ravi Kumar Singh, assistant commissioner of police, Nandgram, said.

“During the investigation, Prajapati admitted that he encountered Kannaujiya in an intoxicated state on the night of the murder. He saw an opportunity to steal his mobile phone and hatched a plan,” said Singh.

The suspect allegedly lured the victim to a forest behind Sihani village, pretending to offer a ride home, and attempted to steal the phone.

“However, when the victim resisted, the suspect strangled him and then struck him multiple times in the face with a brick to prevent identification. Prajapati fled the scene, and on Saturday, the suspect was arrested from the Meerut Road,” The ACP said.

Prajapati was booked under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

“The police have recovered the brick used in the crime, the victim’s mobile phone, and a Splendor bike from the suspect’s possession,” the ACP said.