Teen kidnapped, murdered by friends over ‘love triangle’
MEHRAULI The trio strangled the boy with a towel and dumped his body at an abandoned farmhouse whose owner was killed in 2008
NEW DELHI: A 17-year-old Class 11 student of a private school in south Delhi’s Mehrauli was kidnapped and murdered, allegedly by his friends, over a ‘love triangle’ last week.
The boy was killed because he showed interest in one of the friend’s girlfriend, police said.
The three allegedly strangled the teenager with a cotton towel and then called his family from his mobile phone to demand ₹20 lakh in ransom. They dumped his body in the bushes at Mittal Garden farmhouse in south Delhi, which has been locked and abandoned ever since its owner was murdered in 2008.
Police on Monday arrested two adults and apprehended a minor boy in connection with the crime. One of the adults is a former student of the school, Navin Singh, 20. The other is the victim’s neighbour and “close friend”, Akash Choudhary alias Ashu, 21.
The teenager’s body was recovered at their instance, police said.
Chinmoy Biswal, additional DCP (south), said the crime was the fallout of a “love triangle” involving the dead teenager, Navin and a minor girl from the school. The teenager was interested in the girl who was reportedly dating Navin, Biswal said. The girl informed Navin who threatened the teen, he said.
“They had a fight a month ago. But the teenager did not pay heed and Navin decided to settle scores with him,” he said.
Around 7 pm on Saturday, the boy had left home on his scooter for a temple in Asola which he used to visit every Saturday, the victim’s uncle said.
The three knew about his rou- tine. They reached an eatery near the temple on Ashu’s Bullet and waited for him.
“The boy was returning home when Ashu stopped him and offered him a samosa. Navin said he wanted to sort out their differences. He suggested they go to a peaceful place near Mittal Garden,” said an investigator.
Ashu drove the teenager’s scooter, while the latter rode pillion on Navin’s bike. They reached an isolated place where Navin strangled the teenager while the other two held his hands, the officer said.
The three then pushed the body into the Mittal compound across a five-foot high wall. Navin and the teenager climbed the wall and pulled the body while Ashu pushed it upward.
During the process, Ashu’s aadhaar card fell on the ground, which proved to be a crucial evidence in establishing his role in the crime. “They dragged the body into the bushes and removed the teenager’s mobile phone, his wallet containing ₹70 and his identification documents,” said Biswal.
Police said the three abandoned the scooter near the Chattarpur Metro station and called the teenager’s family from his phone to demand ransom. They later threw the phone into a drain. “When he did not return home late, my niece began calling him. Around 9.30pm, somebody responded to her call. They claimed they were kidnappers and demanded ₹20 lakh for his release,” said the uncle.
The family informed the police about his kidnapping and the ransom call. Police traced the cell phone’s last location and found CCTV footage that showed the suspects hiding their faces and riding a motorcycle.