Missing Delhi hotel operator found murdered in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli

According to the police, the man’s family reported his disappearance at the Tilak Nagar Police Station as he never returned home after work at the hotel he was managing on lease in Tilak Nagar on March 26. “My brother left our hotel for home around 11.30 pm on March 26 and has been untraceable since then,” said Shantanu, one of Chauhan’s brothers in his complaint. He had mentioned three names whom the victim’s family suspected to be behind Chauhan’s disappearance.

The police said Chauhan allegedly began facing threats after a business partnership fell through and the accused are suspected to be known to his family for a long time.

“When the family raised suspicions on certain people, and that his life may be in danger, the police registered an abduction case. Many people were rounded up during the investigation. However, the main suspects are yet to be traced. Non-bailable warrants have also been issued against them,” said Vichitra Veer, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi West.

Jagbir, Chauhan’s elder brother, told reporters on Wednesday that the brothers had a fallout with their former business partners. “They told us to part ways if we didn’t want to work with them. So we started our own hotel, and they grew jealous when our business was doing well. In January when we opened our own hotel. Sagar received a threat that they’ll kill him. My brother went missing on March 26 and we went to the police the next day. The FIR was registered on March 30,” Jagbir said.

In the First Information Report, it was stated that the victim and his two brothers worked as salaried employees for a hotel before they started their own business in January.

The police have formed multiple to trace the suspects by using technical and manual surveillance methods, the police said.

On March 27, the Uttar Pradesh Police recovered an unidentified body under the Kandla police station limits in Shamli district and registered a murder case. A week later, the authorities confirmed the identity of the body as that of Chauhan’s, said the police.

DCP Veer said that they are coordinating with the Uttar Pradesh Police and had immediately sent a team from Tilak Nagar police station to Shamli, along with the family members of the deceased.

Law enforcement agencies from both the states are exchanging information to trace and apprehend the suspects, the police said.