Doctor strangled by former friend over ‘ ₹40 lakh loan’ in Haryana, body thrown in Ganga

The 60-year-old doctor, identified as Vinod Goyal, had been missing since August 28.

Published on: Sep 6, 2025, 22:27:25 IST

By HT News Desk

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A doctor was strangled and killed by a former friend in Haryana's Nuh over a loan that ran into lakhs of rupees, the police said on Saturday. The incident took place in Punhana city.

The incident took place in Nuh's Punhana City. (PTI/ Representational)

The 60-year-old doctor, identified as Vinod Goyal, had been missing since August 28, PTI reported. A message sent from his cell phone to his compounder, Mahendra, had eased the concerns of his family.

However, when there was no communication from his side after that, the doctor's brother Devendra Goyal got worried for his safety. Devendra then filed a missing person report on September 3.

Analysis of doctor's phone calls led police to accused

An analysis of the doctor's phone calls led the police to Deepak Rajasthani, a former councillor, also known to be a friend of Vinod.

Deepak, 42, owned a shop, named Rajasthani Bartan Bhandar, which was located right in front of Vinod's clinic, Goyal Nursing Home, PTI quoted police as saying. Both Deepak and Vinod were friends and were often seen together.

However, an alleged loan of ₹40 lakh or ₹23 lakh, depending on the versions provided, was extended by Deepak to Vinod, which later led to a rift between the two.

While Devendra said the loan amount was ₹40-45 lakh Deepak said Vinod owed him ₹23 lakh. According to the police, Vinod had refused to pay back the sum.

Deepak was taken into police custody on September 5, following which he confessed to the murder. “Deepak Rajasthani confessed to strangling the doctor to death with a rope in his car on August 28,” PTI quoted Punhana City Police Station SHO Rajesh Kumar as saying. The SHO further stated that Deepak, along with an accomplice, had tried to make the case look like a suicide, and thrown the victim's body in Ganga River.

The SHO said that the police was investigating the case from all angles, adding that a search was underway at the spot where the body was thrown.

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HT News Desk
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