The burnt body of a man, who went missing on June 29, was on Saturday recovered from a field near Dhikana village under Baraut Kotwali police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, police said.
The deceased was identified as Sachin Kumar, 38, a resident of Luhari village. Sachin, who worked as an accountant at a local brick kiln, was allegedly abducted, killed and his body was burned with acid before being dumped in a sugarcane field in an apparent bid to destroy evidence, police added. However, the motive for the crime is yet to be ascertained.
His family identified the remains through a mobile phone and clothing found near the skeleton. The gruesome murder triggered protests by relatives, who accused the police of failing to act promptly after Sachin went missing.
Dikshit Tyagi, Baraut Kotwali station house officer, said the investigation was being conducted with utmost seriousness. “Considering the sensitivity of the case, all aspects are being thoroughly investigated. Strict legal action will be taken based on the evidence collected and the allegations made by the victim’s family. The guilty will not be spared,” the inspector said.
According to Deepak, the victim’s brother-in-law, Sachin was last seen on June 29 when two young men from the neighbourhood allegedly took him away on their motorcycle. Several hours later, the two men reportedly returned alone in an intoxicated state. When Sachin’s wife, Poonam, asked about her husband’s whereabouts, they allegedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
The family alleged that after Sachin failed to return home, they approached the Bohla police outpost to report him missing. However, they claimed that the officer in charge did not take the complaint seriously.
