16 years after headless body found stuffed in box, man arrested for murder

Police said that in 2009, the box containing the headless body was spotted on a road with blood oozing out. When opened by police, the mutilated remains of a man aged around 30-35 years were found. An FIR was registered at Bindapur police station and the body was identified as that of Harish, son of Hari Prakash.

According to court documents from 2022 – when Banarsi was sentenced to life imprisonment – Hari Prakash’s wife had informed him on January 5, 2009, that Harish had left with Banarsi on his motorcycle and was yet to return home.

After repeated failed attempts to contact his son – whose phone was switched off – Hari visited Dabri police station to report the matter but was told to wait.

He continued to search for his son through the night and the following day. On January 7, he filed a missing person report and, went to Banarsi’s residence at Chanakya Place, but found it locked. Neighbours informed him that Banarsi had left the house on January 5 along with his belongings.

Later that afternoon, Hari received a phone call from his son’s mobile number. The caller demanded money for Harish’s release but disconnected when he wanted to know the amount. That same evening, police informed Hari that a headless body had been found in Bindapur. On January 8, Hari identified the remains of his son at DDU Hospital by recognising his hands and feet. A postmortem examination confirmed murder.

On February 6, Harish’s severed head was recovered from bushes at Chanakya Place and was identified by his family.

During the trial, Harish’s mother Sushila told the court that Banarsi was her late brother’s son. She said that in 1998, Banarsi had borrowed Rs 85,000 from her to buy a jeep, which he later sold without returning the full amount, leading to strained relations between the families.

Years later, he resumed contact and frequently stayed with them during his visits to Delhi. On January 5, Banarsi came to their home and took Harish on his motorcycle to the Sita Puri market on the pretext of buying a DVD, after which Harish never returned home.

Police said Banarsi was arrested shortly after the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment, while Ashik absconded and was declared a proclaimed offender in 2011.

On November 4, 2025, acting on a tip off, a Crime Branch team traced Ali to Surat. The next day, he was arrested from Bhaiya Nagar, where he had been living as a tailor with his family for the past four years.

“His questioning has revealed that his close friend Banarasi had a monetary dispute with Harish. An altercation took place between the deceased and Banarsi over the money, and they killed and beheaded Harish… After the incident, Ashik kept changing his locations,” said DCP (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam.