Extortion threat ends in owner’s murder, 35-year-old woman arrested

The Ghaziabad police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old woman for her alleged role in the murder an industrialist on Monday night. An autorickshaw driver was also

The Ghaziabad police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old woman for her alleged role in the murder an industrialist on Monday night. An autorickshaw driver was also arrested for allegedly helping in disposing of the body.

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Pinki Bhati, her husband 38-year-old Bunty Bhati and their friend 36-year-old Kamal Kumar allegedly planned to extort 38-year-old Ajay Panchal who was found dead on Tuesday, 7 kms from Haj House near Arthala where his vehicle was found the previous night. Police said Bunty and Kumar were absconding.

“The suspects planned to extort the factory owner and she called him to her house in Arthala on Monday afternoon. The victim knew Pinki as a family friend. As per their plan, Pinki had called Panchal to her home and when he did, the other two were to walk in and accuse him of being in a relationship with her. They were then to blackmail him into giving money in return for not speaking about the matter,” said Keshav Kumar, assistant superintendent of police (Sahibabad).

“However, Panchal refused to be cowed down and in the ensuing argument, the suspects strangulated him in their house. In the evening, woman’s husband left the car abandoned near the Haj House. At around 2.30am on Tuesday, they bundled the body in an auto and dumped it in the Sahibabad industrial area,” Kumar said.

The victim is survived by his wife and his two minor children.

Several police teams were involved in the investigation after the body was discovered on Tuesday morning. On the basis of electronic surveillance, they discovered that the woman had called the victim.

Police said that they also scanned dozens of CCTV footage and came across two in which the Panchal was seen entering woman’s house, while the other showed two men carrying a body from the house and putting it in the auto of Younis Khan, while it was still dark. Khan was arrested on Wednesday night from Mohan Nagar.

Police said that apart from Khan, Bunty and Kamal, there was another man, yet to be identified, who helped them dump the body at Sahibabad industrial area.

“Several teams are working to nab the suspects and they will be arrested soon,” Kumar, added.

The initial FIR in the case was lodged for kidnapping but the IPC sections for murder and destruction of evidence were levied after the post mortem on Tuesday revealed that the deceased was strangulated. The police said that they will also levy IPC section 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Panchal had a cable manufacturing factory at Rajendra Nagar industrial area and left his office at around 1pm on Monday and went missing thereafter.