A shocking case of murder stemming from financial pressure and alleged personal insult has been uncovered in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for the brutal killing of his friend on an incomplete stretch of a national highway.
The Gruesome Discovery on the Highway
The body of Surendra Kumar, a 27-year-old factory worker from Dehradun, was discovered lying on the Haridwar–Kashipur national highway near the Jalalabad bypass on December 21. According to SP (City) Krishna Gopal Singh, the victim had sustained severe head injuries. The body was subsequently sent to the district hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The investigation began after the victim's brother, Satyapal Singh, filed a formal complaint. Based on his statement, the Nangal police station registered a case under the stringent BNS Section 103(1) for murder.
Arrest and Motive Behind the Crime
The breakthrough in the case came on Friday with the arrest of the deceased's friend, Sandeep Kumar, also a resident of Dehradun. During the investigation, police recovered crucial evidence, including a blood-stained jacket belonging to the accused and a bus ticket dated December 21 for travel from Haridwar to Mandawali. The alleged murder weapon, a brick used to bludgeon Surendra, was also recovered.
Police revealed that Sandeep worked as a sweeper at the Dehradun secretariat through an outsourcing agency. The motive for the crime was twofold. Sandeep had borrowed a sum between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 from Surendra last year and was under significant pressure to repay it. This financial strain was compounded when Surendra reportedly began passing obscene comments about Sandeep's wife, causing the accused severe mental distress. Police also noted that the victim, Surendra, had a criminal background and was out on bail in a separate murder case.
How the Murder Was Executed
During interrogation, Sandeep narrated a chilling sequence of events. On December 21, he lured Surendra on the pretext of travelling together to Najibabad. The two friends met in Mandawali and then proceeded to an under-construction section of the highway near Harchandpur village. There, they consumed alcohol.
Police said that once Surendra was in a drunken state, Sandeep seized the opportunity. He allegedly picked up a brick and struck his friend on the head multiple times, killing him on the spot. In a panicked state, Sandeep fled the scene but abandoned his blood-stained jacket when he spotted police personnel nearby. In a twist of fate, he was arrested when he later returned to the area in a desperate attempt to retrieve the incriminating piece of clothing.
The case highlights a tragic confluence of debt and perceived dishonor, leading to a fatal act of violence on a deserted highway stretch. The Bijnor police have successfully solved the murder, with the accused now in custody facing murder charges.
