Man murders colleague, buries body near house

A 24-year-old man killed his colleague, wrapped the body in plastic bags, and buried it in the backyard of an empty house in RK Puram, police officers aware of the case said on Wednesday, adding that the accused resorted to murder to avoid repaying a 29 lakh loan he had taken from the victim.

Investigators said that after the family of victim Mahesh Kumar, 28, reported him missing on August 29, Anish Kumar, the accused, tried to mislead the family by using Mahesh's phone to set up a WhatsApp status that suggested that his disappearance was linked to his inability to repay a debt of ₹65 lakh that he had accumulated.

Anish was arrested for the murder on September 2, police said, adding that he led the police to the site where Mahesh's body was buried. Police also recovered 25 lakh in cash, two vehicles used in the crime, and an iron rod - the murder weapon.

Giving details of the case, deputy police commissioner (southwest) Manoj C said Mahesh, a resident of Jhajjar in Haryana, worked at national mapping agency Survey of India, and at a yet-to-be-determined time, loaned his colleague Anish ₹9 lakh.

However, investigators said, Anish was not repaying the money, despite repeated prodding by Mahesh. Anish was also angry at Mahesh for speaking to his girlfriend, and for lewd remarks the latter purportedly passed at her.