Chandigarh Police Crack Taxi Driver Murder Case in Record 24 Hours, Apprehend Three Suspects
In a swift and decisive operation, the Chandigarh police have claimed to have solved the brutal murder of a 25-year-old taxi driver within a mere 24 hours, leading to the arrest of three prime suspects. The breakthrough came from a dedicated team at the Sector 31 police station, who took into custody Mohit, aged 19 and a resident of 3BRD, Air Force, Sector 31; Rajneesh Kumar, also known as Adi or Khilvish, aged 19 from Preet Colony, Zirakpur; and Raman Singh, alias Negi, aged 23 residing in Surendra Enclave, Zirakpur.
Ongoing Manhunt and Investigation Details
Authorities have revealed that four to five additional individuals are believed to have been involved in this heinous killing, prompting an intensive search operation to track them down. Investigators are also actively working to recover the weapons used during the crime, which are crucial pieces of evidence. All three arrested accused were promptly produced before a court, which granted a five-day police remand to facilitate further interrogation and unravel the full extent of the conspiracy.
Timeline of the Tragic Incident
Initial investigations have painted a grim picture of the events. The deceased cab driver, identified as Sushil alias Sahil, was abducted from Hallomajra around 4:30 PM on Friday. According to police reports, the abductors forcibly took him to Preet Colony in Zirakpur, where they subjected him to a vicious assault using iron rods, ultimately resulting in his death. In a callous attempt to cover their tracks, the perpetrators deposited his body as "unclaimed" at the civil hospital in Dera Bassi before fleeing the scene.
On Saturday, the postmortem was conducted at GMCH-32, revealing a harrowing 15 injury marks caused by sharp-edged weapons, underscoring the brutality of the attack. The body was then handed over to the grieving family for last rites. Police records indicate that Sushil was kidnapped by three to four individuals on February 5, with his body discovered the following day at the Dera Bassi civil hospital before being transferred to GMCH-32 for examination.
Background and Motive Behind the Murder
A case was officially registered based on the statement of Vijay Kumar, a relative of the deceased. Vijay detailed that Sushil worked as a bike cab driver and had accompanied him to Haryana on the morning of the abduction for personal errands. They returned to Hallomajra in the evening, where around 4:30 PM, three to four men on bikes assaulted Sushil and forcibly took him away. Despite an all-night search by police, Sushil could not be located at that time.
Vijay Kumar further disclosed to the police that the roots of this tragedy trace back to a birthday party held in November 2025 for Manpreet, the brother of accused Anil, at Preet Colony in Zirakpur. Sushil attended the party upon invitation from a mutual friend, even though he did not know the hosts personally. According to family accounts, after alcohol was consumed, Manpreet and his friends began pressuring Sushil to let them drive his new car. When Sushil refused, a heated argument ensued, and they allegedly attempted to snatch his car keys. As Sushil tried to drive away, Manpreet suddenly stepped in front of the moving vehicle and tragically died after being run over.
The family insists this was a pure accident, but Anil and his associates held Sushil responsible and vowed revenge. Although a case was registered against Sushil at the Zirakpur police station following the incident, he had not been arrested prior to his murder.
Profiles of the Accused and Victim's Personal Life
Among the three arrested suspects, police noted that Mohit and Negi have no prior criminal records, while Rajneesh is implicated in an extortion case registered in Zirakpur back in 2024. On a personal note, relatives shared that Sushil, who was engaged and set to be married in just two months, had endured significant personal loss, having lost both his parents and sister earlier. He lived with his brother and sister-in-law in a government house in Sector 20 while earning his livelihood as a taxi driver, making his untimely death all the more poignant for the community.
