Kidnapped, murdered, body thrown in Hindon: The sinister plot behind a Ghaziabad man’s death

Ankur, a resident of Ganauli village in Ghaziabad’s Loni, was known to a young woman, related to one of the accused. Police said the accused had warned Ankur to stay away from her. When he didn’t listen, the accused decided to kill him with the help of his two friends, police said.

According to the Loni Police, the trio waited for the right moment to catch Ankur on the night of June 7. When they saw him returning home alone on his scooter, they allegedly blocked his path with their car on the Siroli-Chirodi Road.

As Ankur stopped, two of them pulled him into the vehicle, and his scooter was shoved into the bushes nearby, said officers.

They drove to a deserted stretch of a canal near the village of Jawli. There, the accused allegedly pulled out a country-made pistol and fired four to five rounds — the bullets struck Ankur’s head, chest, and hand, which killed him instantly, said police. The trio spread a plastic sheet on the rear seat of their car, where they placed the body.

Later that night, they drove to the Hindon River bridge and threw the body into the water, hoping it would never be found. Then they walked a short distance to find a tap, where they washed the blood off their hands, clothes, and the car, police said.

But they weren’t done. The next day, around 4 am, the three returned to the spot where Ankur’s scooter had been hidden. They set it on fire using petrol from its tank, and one of the accused also burned his bloodstained T-shirt. Later, they loaded the charred scooter and dumped it into the bushes.

For nearly a week, they lived as if nothing had happened, keeping an eye on the river, worried that the body might float up.

Then came June 13.

That’s when Gopal, Ankur’s brother, approached the Loni Police and filed a kidnapping complaint. A case was registered under relevant sections, and a police team began tracing the missing wrestler.

On Thursday, nearly six days later, police recovered Ankur’s body from the Hindon River, confirming the family’s worst fears. That same day, one of the accused was shot in the leg during a shootout with the police and arrested. From the spot, police recovered a pistol believed to be the murder weapon, four empty cartridges, and a 9mm shell.

A few hours later, another arrest followed — one of the two friends of the accused was picked up during a routine check near the Banthla flyover. With his arrest, police recovered the Swift car used in the crime and Ankur’s scorched scooter.

During questioning, police said the friend admitted to everything: the motive, the plan, the route, and where the body had been dumped.

The third accomplice has also been arrested, said police.