NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old man murdered his 'best friend' by repeatedly hitting his head with a brick as the latter refused to give him money to buy alcohol, an official said on Wednesday.
The murder for a petty reason was not the height of insensitivity but the accused Ankit Mishra after killing his friend stole Rs 400 from his pocket and spent the night drinking more alcohol.
Later to evade arrest, he got himself admitted to a drug rehabilitation centre but was caught by the police even as his clothes were still soaked in the blood of his best friend.
Sharing details, DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said two beat constables were on morning patrolling duty in their beat area on October 14 when they found a body of a man lying with blood stains. They immediately made a PCR call after which the cops from Anand Vihar police station reached the spot.
"Forensic teams were called, photographs were taken, and exhibits were collected by them. Later on, the deceased was identified as Nirala Sahu, a resident of Ghaziabad, UP," the DCP said.
Accordingly, based on the circumstances, the police registered a case of murder and began probing the matter.
Sensing the gravity of the offence, the police constituted a dedicated team that analysed more than 150 CCTV footages from the scene of the crime and surrounding area and routes near Sai Baba Picket, Rishav Vihar, JJ Camp, Anand Vihar Railway Station, and Anand Vihar Bus Terminal.
"More than 30 suspects were detained and examined thoroughly. CCTV footage and ANPR cameras from all possible locations were analyzed by the team. Finally, the deceased and a suspected person were spotted in CCTV footage around 2.20 am in the JJ Camp, Anand Vihar," the officer said. The suspect was identified as Ankit Mishra, a resident of JJ camp in Anand Vihar.
The police then examined Mishra's father who informed them that his son has been admitted to a drug de-addiction centre since the day of the murder.
"This raised strong suspicion that the suspect might be admitted himself to the de-addiction centre after the murder of Nirala Sahu," the officer said. The team was dispatched to the Sampark Trust Nasha Mukti Kendra, Loni, Ghaziabad, where they found the accused.
"His right foot toe had a bloodstain, and his lower cloths were also in bloodstains. He was apprehended and taken to the police station, where, during detailed interrogation, he confessed for committing the crime," the officer said.