Delhi Passenger Killed In Alleged Van Driver Dispute Over Rs 1,000 Fare
Fare dispute over Rs 1,000 allegedly ends in passenger’s death.
A 59-year-old van driver allegedly killed a passenger following a dispute over a fare of around Rs 1,000 and later dumped the body on a roadside in Delhi's Naraina area, police said on Saturday. The accused, identified as Rajinder Kumar alias Annu, allegedly assaulted the passenger with bricks and an earthen-pot-like object inside his Maruti Eeco van. Police said Kumar later contacted his wife and son, who allegedly helped him conceal evidence and deal with the vehicle.
According to police, Kumar picked up the passenger from IFFCO Chowk in Gurugram on August 17. A quarrel allegedly broke out during the journey after the passenger refused to pay the fare. The confrontation reportedly turned violent in West Delhi, where Kumar allegedly attacked the man, causing fatal injuries. Police said the accused subsequently contacted his wife, Kamini Makhija, 50, and son, Laksh Makhija, 28, for assistance in concealing the body and other evidence.
The case came to light after the Naraina police station received a PCR call about a body lying in the Naraina Vihar area. Officers found an unidentified man, estimated to be around 35 years old, lying on a pavement near the wall of a government school. Police noted a deep injury on the right side of his head and multiple injuries on his body. A heart-shaped tattoo with an arrow and the names "Anand" and "Renu" on his left forearm provided investigators with an initial clue while attempting to establish his identity.
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A crime team and Forensic Science Laboratory personnel examined the scene and collected evidence before the body was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where doctors declared the man brought dead. Police subsequently registered an FIR and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing. As the victim's identity was initially unknown and there appeared to be no eyewitnesses, investigators examined CCTV footage from cameras installed near the crime scene and along roads connected to the area.
Police teams analysed around 500 CCTV recordings and identified a Maruti Eeco that was moving suspiciously in the area around the suspected time of the incident. Investigators initially could not clearly read the registration number, so they tracked the vehicle through multiple cameras and reconstructed its movements before and after the incident. The vehicle was eventually traced to Kumar, a resident of Naraina village, leading to his apprehension.
Police said the van was recovered based on information provided by Kumar's wife, while the deceased's clothes and shoes were recovered following information allegedly provided by his son. Rajinder Kumar, Kamini Makhija and Laksh Makhija were arrested on Friday night. Investigators are examining the van as an important piece of evidence to establish the sequence of events, while the identity of the deceased remains unconfirmed and further investigation is underway.
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