Three days after a 27-year-old went missing from Outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri, his dead body was handed over to his family on Saturday two days after it was found in a drain in Ghaziabad. Family of the victim alleged role of two ‘builders’ whom he had gone to meet on Tuesday.
Rahul Saxena, resident of Budh Vihar, who runs a showroom of e-rikshaws and batteries on Kanjhawala Road, left his home as usual on Tuesday morning and left from work around 5:30pm, the family said. However, around 6:30pm, he sent a message to his employee Sandeep expressing doubt over two people he was allegedly with.
“The employee received a message from Rahul bhaiya saying that he is with two builders and he doubts their intention. He had also said shared their names and numbers and said that he was taken to Rohini sector 23,” alleged victim’s 22-year-old brother Deepak.
Unfortunately, Mr Sandeep allegedly did not see the message at the time but nearly two hours later after which he went home and informed Rahul’s mother and brother of the same.
“When Sandeep showed us the message, we kept trying bhaiya’s number but it was switched off. Then we tried the numbers he had given us. Both the persons claimed that they didn’t know my brother and said they don’t know what we’re talking about,” alleged Mr Deepak adding that their phones went off a few hours later.
When asked if Mr Rahul was associated with the two builders, the family said that they had no idea. “My father who passed away three years ago due to a heart attack was a property dealer but my brother did not continue his business,” the brother said.
The family approached the police and informed them about the message they had received from the victim. However, the police allegedly told them to wait.
“When I told the police that my brother’s life is in danger and he has sent a message saying the same, the officers at Sultanpuri police station told me that he might have gone with some girl and will come back,” he alleged adding that later, a First Information Report was registered.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) MN Tiwari said that a FIR under section 365 (Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Indian Penal Code was registered and investigation was taken up.
Mr Deepak alleged that when he approached the next day on Wednesday, the officers allegedly did not have any update on the case when he asked them. “I kept telling them we should visit the address he has mentioned in the message, they told me that they know what to do and didn’t tell me anything,” he alleged.
Responding to the allegations, Mr Tiwari claimed that he doesn’t want to divulge in details but, “our teams immediately left when the message was shown but unfortunately, we were not successful”.
Two days after Mr Rahul was allegedly kidnapped, the family said they received a ransom call on Thursday asking them to give Rs 20 lakh. “I was at the police station when someone called on my mother’s number. The call was attended by my aunt. The caller said, ‘chut gaya paseena, ab agar Rahul ki shakal dekhni hai toh 20 peti do’,” said Mr Deepak adding that the caller said that he would call again at 10am on Friday but we didn’t receive any call.
The family informed the police about the ransom call shared the number with the officers. Based on the information, section 364A (Kidnapping for ransom) of the IPC.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police had found a body in a drain in Kavi Nagar on the same the day the family had received the ransom call which matched the description of Mr Rahul’s. “The body was difficult to recognize because the man appeared to be hit with bricks on his face. He had suffered injuries on his head, back and there were strangulation marks around his neck,” said a senior police officer.
On Friday, the family was informed about the body who identified him as the victim. Mr Tiwari said that the post mortem was conducted on Friday and the body was handed over to the family on Saturday.
The family alleged that if police had taken the matter seriously on Tuesday night when the information was given to them, Mr Rahul might have been alive. Responding, Mr Tiwari said that, “I understand their emotions but if they have issues, they can tell me and I’ll enquire into them”.
The DCP said that a murder charge was added in the FIR and they have identified the accused. “We are on the right path and efforts are being made to nab them,” he said refusing to share more details.
