NEW DELHI: Police have arrested a second suspect in the murder of a 35-year-old woman, whose decomposed body was found concealed in a bed storage box at a tuition centre in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar on Friday.
The arrested suspect, Abhay Kumar Jha alias Sonu (29), is a driver from Bihar. He is believed to have played a significant role in the crime, police said. Earlier, the police arrested the house owner, who runs a tuition centre. The victim's husband, Ashish Kumar, is absconding.
On March 28, officers from Vivek Vihar police station responded to a PCR call when someone reported about a foul smell coming from a flat in Satyam Enclave. On reaching the spot, the house was found locked from the outside. There were traces of blood near the back door.
"When police officers forced themselves in, they found the decomposed body of a woman, wrapped in a blanket and stuffed inside a bed storage compartment. The body was placed in a bag, confirming the attempt to hide the crime," a senior police officer said.
The woman was later identified as Anju, alias Anjali, of Ludhiana in Punjab.
An FIR was registered under Sections 103 (murder) of BNS at Vivek Vihar police station.
A police team was formed and deployed for technical surveillance and local intelligence gathering to track down the suspects.
Their efforts led to the arrest of 65-year-old Vivekanand Mishra near Surajmal Park in Anand Vihar. Mishra confessed to the crime and named his co-accused, police said.
"The probe revealed that Abhay flew to Delhi intending to dispose of the victim's body. Upon learning of Mishra's arrest, he attempted to flee to Bihar by train. However, using technical tracking, the police identified his escape route and, in coordination with the Govt Railway Police, apprehended him at Aligarh station as he attempted to board the Magadh Express," DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam said.
According to police, the murder was a premeditated act involving criminal conspiracy. "On March 21, Abhay, along with Ashish, forcibly brought the victim, Anju, from Ludhiana, to Delhi against her will," a senior police officer said.
Efforts are on to track down Ashish Kumar, the woman's husband.