A 38-year-old man, Akhilesh Mandal, was allegedly bludgeoned to death with an iron hammer in Dwarka, Delhi, over a dispute related to a house sale. The police have arrested two suspects, Anil Thakur and Raju Kumar, after analyzing around 500 CCTV camera feeds.
The body of the victim was found on July 12 between a road and a drain near Kargil Chowk in Sector 18A, Dwarka. The body had visible tattoos and a head injury, but no identification documents were found. An FIR was registered at Dwarka North Police Station, and teams were formed to arrest the accused.
During the investigation, the police examined nearly 500 CCTV camera footage from the crime scene and adjoining routes, besides relying on technical surveillance to identify the victim and trace the suspects. The arrested accused, Thakur and Kumar, were identified through this process.
According to the police, Mandal had been staying at Thakur’s residence with his consent, but frequent quarrels allegedly broke out between the two due to the victim’s alcohol addiction. The dispute intensified after Thakur decided to sell his house, which Mandal allegedly opposed. On July 10, Thakur and Kumar allegedly took Mandal to the spot near Kargil Chowk and assaulted him with an iron hammer, causing fatal injuries.
After the murder, both accused fled to Dharampura in Najafgarh. Thakur, who knew Mandal’s family, allegedly misled them after the murder, preventing them from reporting him missing and delaying the identification process. The police recovered the weapon of offence, a blood-stained iron hammer, and the victim’s mobile phones.
The investigation gained momentum after the police established the victim’s identity through available legal procedures. The investigation is currently underway.
