Body in drain: Live-in partner held, say cops

A 48-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his live-in partner and hacking her body into two before dumping it in a drain in south Delhi’s Amar Colony last week. According to police, the accused, Balram, killed the woman, Anarkali (43), as he suspected she was having an affair.

He first hit her on the head with a hammer and broke her backbone. Police said he then cut the body into two using three different knives, stuffed it in two airbags and dumped them in two drains near Garhi. He then told everyone that Anarkali had gone to her hometown, said police.

The incident came to light whenpolicefoundonehalfofthe body in a drain on Captain Gaur Marg on December 3. A day later, the other half of the body was found in a drain 300 metres away from the first one. “It was very difficult to ascertain if both parts belonged to the same person as they had been eaten by animals. The bodywaskeptinthemortuaryfor DNA testing,” said an officer.

Under the supervision of Lajpat Nagar ACP Satish Kain, officers pasted 4,000 posters of the woman across cinema halls, public transport, and market areas amongst others.

“We got our first lead when a constablefoundthatawomantea seller had been missing for the last three days. We tracked down her relatives in Chennai, who said she was not in the city. After she was identified, we located her residence in Garhi area which remained locked,” said an officer.

Police found that Balram, a plumber, lived with the woman and had not returned home since December 5. Two days later, police caught Balram. During questioning, he said he and Anarkali wereinarelationshipforthepast eightyears.dcp(southeast)romil Baniya said, “Three years ago, he hadgonetoodisha.hecameback to Delhi two months ago and began living with Anarkali again. It was then that he suspected she was having an affair.”

A police officer said, “On December 2, he and Anarkali got into an argument. She tried to hit Balram. He grew angry and hit her on the head with a hammer.”

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