Delhi Police seized Rs 5 lakh in cash from the accused (Representational)
A 24-year-old government employee was arrested for allegedly killing his colleague, wrapping his body in polythene, and burying it in a vacant house in his neighbourhood in southwest Delhi's RK Puram area, the police said on Wednesday.
The accused has been identified as Anish, who works at Survey of India and lives in RK Puram's Sector-2, they said.
According to the police, the victim, Mahesh, had loaned Anish Rs 9 lakh and was killed when he demanded his money back and berated Anish for splurging the money on his girlfriend.
On August 29, RK Puram Police Station received a call from Mahesh's brother Anesh, who said Mahesh was missing, a senior police officer said.
Anesh said his brother had left the house on August 28 around 12:30 pm and told his wife that he was going to meet Anish at RK Puram Sector 2 but never returned, the officer said.
Anesh said when he and his sister-in-law spoke to Anish about Mahesh, he said Mahesh met him at his house but left after some time, the police said. Anish even promised to help the family search for Mahesh.
The police said that during their investigation Mahesh's last location was found to be Faridabad in Haryana. When they went there, they found no evidence of his being there.
Anish became a suspect as he did not inform the police that the victim had come to meet him on the day of the incident as he told Mahesh's family, they said.
They began questioning several suspects, including Anish, who later confessed to killing Mahesh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said.
According to the officer, the accused said that Mahesh harassed him for his money and insulted him. So he decided to kill him.
He said when Mahesh's wife called him to ask for his whereabouts, he told her Mahesh had come and left without his car, the DCP said.
On the day he went missing, Mahesh received a call from Anish, who invited him to his house in RK Puram. When he came, Anish killed him and buried his body near his house where sewer work was taking place.
According to the police, the accused recently bought new furniture and spent around three to four lakhs on it.
The investigators further said that it was alleged that the accused had put a status on WhatsApp regarding a debt of around Rs 65 lakh. They are checking all facts in the case and also investigating whether the case is linked to a job scam, for which they do not have any evidence so far.
"We are also checking and corroborating the claims of the accused whether he first went to Fraidabad and later to his hometown in Sonipat, Haryana. Anish claimed that he dumped the body in the pit and covered it. However, a probe is underway to check who covered the pit with cement," another official said.
The police seized Rs 5 lakh in cash, two vehicles used in the crime, and the weapon of offence from Anish.