By Nikita Jha
Delhi Crime News: A 27-year-old man and his associates have been arrested for allegedly strangling and burning his 19-year-old neighbour in Delhi鈥檚 Narela area, police said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Sumit, reportedly committed the crime after claiming he and his brother had faced repeated threats and abuse from the victim, Kapil Dahiya. The matter came to light when the half-burnt body of Dahiya was found in an open field near the Narela-Bawana flyover on June 29, lying next to a partially burnt motorcycle, the police said. According to police, Sumit lured Kapil Dahiya to a location where he, along with his associates Vishal and Harish, strangled him. They then set the body on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the victim’s identity, a senior officer said. The PCR call about the incident was received around 3 pm on June 29, and the police rushed to the spot along with a team, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said. “The crime and forensic science labs were also called to the scene, where key clues, including the condition of the body and signs of an attempted cover-up, were recorded,” Swami said. After the victim was identified by his father, a case was registered at the Narela Police Station under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 238(b) (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to shield the offender) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Acting on a tip-off, police traced Sumit to Haridwar in Uttarakhand, where he was arrested, the DCP said. “During interrogation, Sumit confessed to murdering…with the help of two associates over repeated threats and abuse by the victim. He said he feared for his and his elder brother’s life,” a senior officer said. The police have also recovered Sumit’s mobile phone and the clothes he wore during the crime. The half-burnt motorcycle used by the victim was recovered from the scene earlier, police said. Efforts are underway to arrest the absconding co-accused and recover the victim’s mobile phone, the DCP said, adding that Sumit has been sent to two-day police custody. (With PTI inputs)