The investigation into the murder of pharmaceutical trader Vineet Manocha has expanded after police discovered that the alleged shooter, Vishal Gautam, used a newly purchased SIM to make six calls to Manocha’s son, Subrat. The new evidence has placed Subrat under police scrutiny.
So far, Subrat’s wife Shalu and two associates have been arrested. Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said Gautam bought the SIM on September 3, two days before Manocha was stabbed to death on September 5. The number was also used to contact Shalu. Lal questioned why the calls were made to Subrat if Shalu had orchestrated the crime, and investigators are now examining Subrat’s possible involvement. Call detail records of seven mobile numbers linked to Subrat, Shalu and Gautam, covering May 1 to September 6, have been obtained and span about 1,000 pages.
Manocha, 60, ran a pharmaceutical firm on Birhana Road with his son. Shalu, Gautam and Raj Kishore are in jail. Deputy Commissioner S M Qasim Abidi said the records were being analysed to understand the conversations before and after the murder. Subrat and Gautam spoke 309 times between May 1 and September 5. Gautam had been removed from Manocha’s employment over an alleged theft but remained in contact with Subrat. Police have questioned Shalu and Gautam in jail, and Shalu denied planning the murder while Gautam claimed she had promised him money and a job. Police are seeking custody remand for Shalu and Gautam, after which Subrat may be cross‑questioned.
Investigators are matching statements with CCTV footage and tracing Gautam’s movements after the murder, including calls to associate Raj Kishore and an Uber trip to his hideout. Digital evidence from Shalu’s phone is under review, and her lawyer has questioned the handling of the seized device. Police are also examining Manocha’s properties and financial affairs, noting that a will from 2022 bequeathed his assets to his wife, son and daughter. They have found properties in Ghaziabad and Kanpur, and indications that Subrat was in debt. The investigation continues to explore whether property distribution or financial pressures played a role in the murder.
