Vadodara: Three days after a man's mutilated body was discovered in a canal in Karjan, police arrested his neighbor for the murder, allegedly committed over a financial dispute.
Arrest Made in Canal Murder Case
Police said Ratilal Vasava, a resident of Kurali village, killed Kanaksinh Chauhan after prolonged discord over money. Chauhan went missing on April 18, prompting his family to lodge a missing person's complaint. His body, wrapped in a plastic bag, was found in a canal outside Kurali village three days ago. The postmortem confirmed that he had been murdered, after which a probe was launched.
Investigation and Confession
An investigation team with personnel from the local crime branch and the special operations group was formed. Police received a tip-off pointing to a financial dispute between Chauhan and Vasava. Vasava was questioned and later confessed to the crime, police said.
According to investigators, Chauhan had lent money to Vasava and had been pressing him for repayment. Vasava told police that after retiring from the post office in 2017, he had given his savings to his sons. During the Covid pandemic, his wife was hospitalized and he incurred heavy medical expenses. To meet these costs, Vasava borrowed Rs 3.50 lakh on interest from Chauhan and issued three cheques.
While Vasava maintained that he had repaid the debt in full, he alleged that Chauhan kept demanding more money. Police said Vasava then decided to eliminate Chauhan. On April 18, he allegedly called Chauhan to a secluded spot on the outskirts of Kurali village, strangled him with a nylon rope, and dumped the body in the canal.
The accused has been booked for murder and further investigation is underway.
