Slain teen’s friend identifies killers

A classmate of Class XI student Ribhu Chawla, son of a software trader who was allegedly kidnapped and later killed by four men, identified the two killers on Wednesday.

A classmate of Class XI student Ribhu Chawla, son of a software trader who was allegedly kidnapped and later killed by four men, identified the two killers on Wednesday.

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The classmate (name withheld) was returning home with Ribhu on July 28 when the latter was kidnapped. Ribhu and his friend were barely 40 metres away from his home when the kidnapping happened.

The four accused — Kunal Bhandari (27) alias Rocky, Rishabh Chauhan (24), Sukhvinder Singh (22) and Gaurav Chaddha (20) — were allegedly waiting for Ribhu in a Wagon R car.

Bhandari and Chauhan called Ribhu who was on a two-wheeler, bundled him in the car, drove away and later killed him, dumped his body at Vasant Kunj, police said.

They also collected a ransom of Rs 15 lakh from Ribhu’s father. On Wednesday, Ribhu’s classmate who witnessed the entire incident identified the two men — Bhandari and Chauhan — during an identification parade at Tihar Jail.

The police said it was Bhandari and Chauhan who had strangled Ribhu to death.

“The accused were identified during the identification parade. We have sought their remand,” said Sharad Aggarwal, DCP (west). The accused were sent to police custody for five days after they were produced at the Tis Hazari courts on Wednesday.

“He could not see the other two accused sitting in the front of the car,” the officer said.

The police had recovered Rs 8 lakh, the nylon rope and the car used in the commission of crime. The remaining money is yet to be recovered.

Kunal Bhandari (27) alias Rocky is a former Mr Delhi and a gym trainer, Rishabh Chauhan (24) is an English literature graduate, Sukhvinder Singh (22) a school dropout and Gaurav Chaddha (20) is a fast food eatery owner.