Two drug addicts arrested for killing friend over petty issue

The police, on Sunday, arrested two drug addicts for murdering their friend over a petty issue here in Jankipuram. The body of the deceased was found in bushes under the Madiaon over bridge on October 16.

The deceased was identified as Vijay Kumar Awasthi, resident of sector F in Jankipuram. He was missing since October 14 and his brother Raj Kumar Awasthi had lodged an FIR of his mysterious disappearance on the same day with Jankipuram police station.

The FIR was later altered as murder and concealment of crime when the post-mortem report revealed that he was murdered by hitting on head with a blunt object.

“The deceased’s two drug addict friends Santosh Gupta and Harishankar Mishra were zeroed in on after a detailed probe. Later, they confessed their crime during rigorous quizzing,” said subinspector (S-I) Akshay Kumar of crime branch. He added that the probe revealed that Gupta murdered Awasthi by hitting him on head with a brick over some misunderstanding between them.

“Gupta told Awasthi joined him and Mishra when they were taking drugs doses under the Madiaon over bridge on October 14. He then asked Mishra to bring tea for Awasthi and sent him to a near-by tea stall by giving Rs10. A small piece of brick fell on Awasthi from the bridge but he thought Gupta had thrown it and they entered into verbal duel which soon turned violent during which Gupta unknowingly killed Awasthi by hitting him with a brick,” said the S-I.

He further added that Gupta, fearing the arrest, hid the body in bushes with the help of Mishra and disappeared. He said the police team suspected the two accused from the beginning as they were missing from their houses soon after the deceased’s disappearance.

Besides, the mobile call details also confirmed that they were together at the time of the incident, he added.