A dispute over the fare of a mere ₹1,000 led to the killing of a passenger in West Delhi when police booked a van driver along with his wife and son on charges of murdering a passenger after covering up the crime. The accused in the case, Rajinder Kumar, also called Annu, 59, is alleged to have taken the victim onboard from IFFCO Chowk in Gurugram on August 17. It is believed that the dispute began as the passenger declined to pay the fare during the trip, which led to an argument between them.
Wife and Son Charged with Assisting in Hiding the Body
According to reports, after the attack, Kumar is alleged to have made a phone call to his wife, Kamini Makhija, aged 50, and his son, Laksh Makhija, aged 28. These two are alleged to have helped in disposing of the victim's clothing and hiding the vehicle used during the crime. The three of them were arrested on Friday evening. The case broke out because a PCR call was received by the Naraina police station regarding a dead body in the Naraina Vihar locality. An unidentified male body, who was thought to be about 35 years of age, was discovered injured and unclothed near the wall of a government school, with a deep cut in his head.
Use of CCTV Footage in Tracing the Accused
In the absence of witnesses and even without identifying the victim, investigators screened 500 CCTV footage and noticed that there was a Maruti Eeco which exhibited some suspicious behavior around the crime scene. Through cameras, investigators traced the movements of the vehicle and identified Kumar, who lives in Naraina Village. The van was traced because of his wife, but it was his son whose involvement led to the discovery of the clothes and shoes of the victim. A tattoo shaped like a heart with the names "Anand and Renu" on the arms of the victim is now being used in an attempt to identify him.
-Ishita Ranjan
"A dispute over the fare of a mere ₹1,000 led to the killing of a passenger in West Delhi when police booked a van driver along with his wife…"