LUCKNOW: The police in Varanasi have arrested a 24-year-old man for allegedly killing his friend whose body was found in a field earlier this month.
According to police, the accused, Virendra Yadav, claimed he killed his friend and former colleague
Aftab Alam (28) after being humiliated over an incident in which he was allegedly tricked by him into eating "cow meat".
On Jan 8, 2026, police received information about the body of an unidentified man lying near a pond in Mahagaon Madai village. A police team recovered the body, with blood visible from the mouth and nose. During a search, police recovered a bag containing an identity card bearing the name Aftab Alam, son of Kalamuddin, along with details of his employer, Siddharth Automatic India Private Limited. The deceased was later identified as a resident of Chapra in Bihar. "After completing inquest formalities, the body was sent for autopsy and later handed over to the family, who performed the last rites in their native village.
On Jan 21, the victim's family approached Sindhaura police in Varanasi, expressing suspicion of murder and pointing to unusual financial transactions from Aftab's bank account into Virendra's," said ACP Prateek Kumar. On Jan 8, the day the body was recovered, Rs 40,000 was transferred via UPI to Virendra's account, police said.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case of murder and began investigation.
After probe, police identified Virendra Yadav, a resident of Laskarpur village under Cholapur police station in Varanasi, as the prime suspect. He was arrested on Jan 25.
"During interrogation, Virendra claimed he and Aftab had earlier lived and worked together as helpers in a Bengaluru-based firm. He alleged that in Sept last year, Aftab deceived him into consuming meat and later disclosed the incident to others, leading to ridicule and humiliation. Police said the accused claimed this humiliation drove him to plan the murder," said ACP Kumar.
When not covering crime, he reads fiction, roams around the dark ...
Read MoreWhen not covering crime, he reads fiction, roams around the dark alleys of the city in the dead of night. An MA (English Litt) from University of Lucknow, Pathikrit loves to speak French, well at least a smattering of it. He did his graduation in French language. A recipient of the Road Safety Fellowship of the United Nations, Pathikrit drives cautiously and advises others to do that too.
Read Less