Was it a case of murder or suicide? The riddle that put Delhi police in a fix for almost two months was finally solved sometime back.
The incident took place on July 4 this year, when the body of an unidentified youth was found hanging from a tree near Kirari railway crossing in northwest district. Even in the initial stage, police did not believe it to be a suicide case. But an autopsy carried out on the body clearly indicated that the ligature mark found on the neck was as a result of suicidal hanging.
Subsequently, the case was closed. However, confessional statement of three criminals, who were arrested after a brief encounter with the sleuths of the Interstate Cell of the Crime Branch, painted altogether a shocking story.
On September 2, the interstate cell of crime branch developed information that Sarfaraj, Sanjay and Nadeem - prime suspects in robbery cases - would be assembling at Mangolpuri Industrial Area.
The team took their position and at about 7:20 pm spotted the criminals. When the police team challenged the suspects, one of them fired upon the police party with a country made pistol but was nabbed when he was trying to reload the weapon.
The other two were also apprehended. On sustained interrogation all three broke down and admitted to their involvement in three cases of murder that also involved the 'suicidal case'. They revealed that they had been committing petty roadside robberies almost every day. They told the police that they used to target victims on isolated stretches of roads in Sultanpuri and robbed them at knifepoint.
While confessing, the criminals spilled having killed the victim and hanging him to a tree. The three men kept on insisting that they had strangulated a youth with a towel and after robbing him of his money and valuables had hanged his body from a tree. The criminals even showed the crime team the tree.
{{/usCountry}}While confessing, the criminals spilled having killed the victim and hanging him to a tree. The three men kept on insisting that they had strangulated a youth with a towel and after robbing him of his money and valuables had hanged his body from a tree. The criminals even showed the crime team the tree.
{{/usCountry}}Enquiries further revealed that an inquiry into the death of a youth was carried out and no case was registered as it was declared a suicide by the autopsy surgeon.
Sources said, the local police is now in the process of registering a murder case and since identity of the deceased is yet to be established and even the autopsy surgeon has termed the death as suicide, getting prosecution in the case is going to be a Herculean task.