‘Hands, feet tied with shoelaces’: Teen murdered by friends over relationship in Delhi; 2 held

NEW DELHI: A teenager was allegedly drugged and killed by two of his friends over his relationship with the cousin of one of the accused in outer north Delhi, police said on Wednesday.The body of the victim, identified as Ankit (18), a resident of Sadar Bazar, was recovered from the Munak Canal. He had been reported missing from the Gulabi Bagh area on November 18. His body was found on November 22 near the Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant after police received a PCR call, according to news agency PTI.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Hareshwar Swami said Ankit’s hands and feet were tied with shoelaces, and a handkerchief was found around his neck. Three sharp injuries were also noticed on his head. A case has been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. The investigation progressed after one of the accused, Ashish (23), was arrested by the Special Cell in Rohini in connection with another case. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the murder. His associate, Vishal Dhilod (23), was later arrested.Police said the motive behind the crime was a personal dispute. Ashish was reportedly upset over Ankit’s relationship with his cousin and had warned him repeatedly to stay away.On the day of the incident, the accused allegedly called Ankit to Tikri Kalan Metro Station and took him on a scooter to a house in Gaddha Colony. There, they allegedly drugged him, tied his limbs and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon.The body was later transported in a pickup truck and dumped into the Munak Canal near a temple in Bawana to conceal evidence, police said.They added that the murder weapon, the pickup truck used to dispose of the body and the scooter used to ferry the victim have been recovered. Further investigation is underway.