In a chilling prelude to a planned kidnapping, two men were apprehended by the Ghaziabad police for the alleged murder of a cab driver. The accused reportedly killed the driver to seize his vehicle, which they intended to use to abduct an 11-year-old boy from Noida for ransom.
The Grisly Discovery on DME
The case came to light on November 20, when police received information about a body found on the rear seat of a white Swift Dzire car with a commercial license plate. The vehicle was located near the Antariksh building on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) in Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad.
Authorities sent the body for autopsy and traced the deceased's details through the car's registration number. The victim was identified as Haruram Paudwar, a cab driver. His family was subsequently informed of the tragic news.
Police Investigation and Arrest
The investigation gained momentum on December 1, when Paudwar's son filed a formal complaint. He stated that two individuals had booked his father's vehicle and subsequently murdered him. Based on this, an FIR was registered against unknown persons under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police teams were swiftly formed to track down the culprits. Investigators scanned footage from more than 80 CCTV cameras in the area, a meticulous process that eventually led them to the suspects. The two accused were arrested in front of IPEM College in Ghaziabad.
The arrested individuals were identified as Govind Kumar (27), a resident of Delhi, and Sunny (21) alias Chotu, from Badaun. At the time of the crime, the duo was living together in a rented house in Noida's Sector 49. During the arrest, police recovered the deceased driver's mobile phone and his personal documents from the accused.
Kidnapping Plot Unveiled
During interrogation, the accused revealed a sinister motive behind the carjacking and murder. Govind Kumar confessed that he and his accomplice Sunny had plotted to kidnap the 11-year-old son of a Noida-based businessman, Vipul Kumar. The target was the child, Ansh Jha, and the motive was a hefty ransom.
The pair had planned to conduct a reconnaissance of the area before executing the abduction. For this, they needed a car that would not raise suspicion. They decided to hire a cab and then steal it from the driver.
On November 20, they booked Paudwar's Swift Dzire for a trip from Ghaziabad to Aligarh for a fare of Rs 3200. Their plan was to rob the driver of his vehicle during the journey. However, when they reached the DME and attempted the robbery, Paudwar began to resist and call for help.
Fearing exposure, the accused strangled the driver to death. Terrified after committing the murder, they abandoned their elaborate kidnapping plan. They left Paudwar's body in the back seat of the car and dumped the vehicle on the DME before fleeing the scene.
ACP Kotwali, Ritesh Tripathi, overseeing the case, stated that the thorough analysis of CCTV footage was crucial in cracking the case. The arrest has potentially averted a major kidnapping incident in Noida. The police continue their investigation to ensure all aspects of the crime are covered.
