Tattoo cracks mystery of mutilated body; 3 arrested after 6-week hunt
Delhi Police have identified a man whose face had been mutilated beyond recognition with the help of tattoos on his hand and arrested three men
Delhi Police have identified a man whose face had been mutilated beyond recognition with the help of tattoos on his hand and arrested three men in connection with what they described as a revenge killing, officials said on Monday. The accused allegedly stayed on the run for more than six weeks, moving across several states to avoid arrest. The victim was identified as Chandan Saini, 34, a resident of Nehru Vihar in north Delhi. His body, with multiple stab wounds, was found in the Yamuna Khadar area in Wazirabad on May 21. Police said the case was cracked after investigators traced his identity through a tattoo carrying two names and a symbol. Read Full Story "The victim was identified as Chandan Saini (34), a resident of Nehru Vihar in north Delhi, whose body bearing multiple stab wounds was found in the Yamuna Khadar area in Wazirabad on May 21," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said in a statement.
Police said Saini's face had been severely disfigured, making identification impossible. However, investigators noticed the tattoo on his hand and circulated its image locally, which helped establish his identity. Further verification showed that Saini was a bad character of Timarpur police station and had previous involvement in five cases of snatching, burglary and theft. After an FIR of murder was registered at Wazirabad police station, joint teams were formed to investigate the case and arrest those involved. Investigators scanned CCTV footage from Saini's neighbourhood and the route leading to the crime scene. Footage showed him boarding an autorickshaw outside his house on the intervening night of May 20 and 21. "The team could not ascertain the registration number of the vehicle; they established that he had willingly left with its occupants," the officer said. The breakthrough came during the questioning of Surjeet alias Bacchi, an associate of the deceased and also a bad character of Timarpur police station.
He told investigators that Saini had an old enmity with Tarun alias Tanni and frequently abused him and his friends. He also disclosed that on May 18, two days before the murder, Saini and his associates had allegedly assaulted and tried to abduct Tarun's brother, Saurabh, during a quarrel. Based on these disclosures, Tarun emerged as the prime suspect, but by the time police raided his residence, he had fled. "The teams subsequently found that Tarun's cousin Sunny Mahajan from Amritsar and his friend Dheeraj had also disappeared after the incident," the officer added. Police said the trio kept changing locations and moved through Mumbai, Amritsar, Katra in Jammu, Haridwar, Loni in Ghaziabad and other places to evade arrest. They frequently stayed at gurdwaras while on the run and returned to Delhi only around 10 days before their arrest, taking shelter near Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk. "On July 5, acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Dheeraj from Loni in Ghaziabad.
The BriefWire