Noida cab driver killed for ‘honour’, suspect arrested

NOIDA: Police arrested a man late on Thursday night in connection with the murder of a cab driver, whose body was found buckled in the driver’s seat in Noida’s Sector 71 earlier this week. Police said the man confessed to plotting and killing the cab driver for marrying his sister without the family’s consent.

The accused has been identified as Deepak.

The deceased, Ajay Singh, had married Devika in March this year in an Arya Samaj Mandir in Ghaziabad. Ajay and Devika had not told their families about their relationship.

“We arrested Deepak from Chhajarsi Shani Temple on Thursday around 11.30pm. On questioning, Deepak said four people were involved in Ajay’s murder, including his elder brother Pankaj,” said Akhilesh Pradhan, station house officer of Phase 3 police station.

Deepak told police that for the past month, Ajay had been frequenting their neighbourhood in Mamura to meet Devika. “Our family was being humiliated because of their relationship. So we planned to kill him,” Deepak told the police.

Deepak and Pankaj, with their friends Vikas and Sandeep, conspired to kill Ajay, the SHO said. “They knew where Ajay parked his cab in Mamura every night. On Wednesday, around 1.15am, when Ajay reached the taxi stand, the four accused overpowered him, beat him up and shoved him in the back seat,” police said.

Pankaj drove the car through isolated areas to avoid getting caught as Deepak and Vikas continued beating Ajay. Aside from external injury marks on Ajay’s body, there were signs of strangulation as well, police said. They drove through Sector 65, Garhi Choukahndi and Rajnigandha Chowk, police said.

Pankaj then dropped Deepak and Vikas near Fortis Hospital in Noida Sector 63, and drove the dead body to D-park in Sector-63. He buckled up Ajay’s body to the driver’s seat and deserted the vehicle, police said.

Police is on the lookout for Pankaj, Vikas and Sandeep, who are absconding since the incident has come to light.

A case of murder (302, IPC) and causing disappearance of evidence of offence (201, IPC) was registered against Deepak.

Police is also investigating the role of Devika and her father in Ajay’s murder.