Ghaziabad: Woman, two aides arrested for killing friend, burying body in her house

Police on Thursday arrested a 19-year-old woman and her two friends linked to the murder of 19-year-old man from Muradnagar who was found buried in the woman’s house on August 11

Police on Thursday arrested a 19-year-old woman and her two friends linked to the murder of 19-year-old man from Muradnagar who was found buried in the woman’s house on August 11. The victim and suspects in the case are from the village of Khairajpur, said police.

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Police said that the victim, Mohammad Mursaleen, was allegedly a friend of the woman, who they identified by a single name as Ayesha. An autopsy report confirmed death by strangulation, said a police officer.

Police identified the other two arrested suspects as Mohammad Usman and Arif and said two other suspects, Zubair and Zeeshan, were absconding. All were between 19 and 25 years of age, they added.

Police said they had succeeded in establishing the sequence of events that led to Mursaleen’s murder. On August 11, Ayesha allegedly called him to her home.

“When we questioned her, Ayesha told us that had been pressing her to marry him. She told this to her two suspects - Zubair and Usman who had a previous altercation with the victim over another issue. Thereafter, they planned to get rid of the victim,” said Iraj Raja, superintendent of police (rural).

The woman allegedly told the police that when the victim reached her house, her two friends allegedly murdered him, while she kept watch at the door.

“They wanted to dispose of the body outside but found that it would be difficult to move out of the locality without anyone noticing. So, they dug up a patch in the house and buried it. Upon questioning and investigation, three suspects were arrested while a search is on for others,” the SP said. Police said Zeeshan helped bury the body.

The family of the victim had filed a missing person complaint with the Muradnagar police on August 15 after extensive searches failed to throw up any clues. A police investigation traced his mobile phone SIM card to an ice-cream vendor near the woman’s house. The woman had allegedly wrapped the SIM card in a ₹500 currency note and given it to him in an effort to dispose of evidence, said police. The vendor led police to the woman’s house from where the body was exhumed after she was questioned, said officials.

Mursaleen’s family named seven suspects in the case, including Ayesha’s mother, brother and the Ayesha’s friend Arif, in their police complaint following the discovery of body.

“The family’s role in the case is being probed as we suspect they knew that the body was buried in the house. Once established, they will also be arrested,” said an officer from Muradnagar police station.

Police said that Arif had no role in murder, but was booked for allegedly threatening the victim as alleged by his family.