NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has, for the first time, invoked Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows courts to frame charges and begin trial in serious cases even when the accused is absconding, an official said.
Charges were framed against Jitender Mehto, who has been on the run for months after allegedly murdering his former employer, Ramesh Bhardwaj, both residents of Delhi.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Hareshwar Swami, a missing complaint was filed on January 29 after Bhardwaj’s daughter reported that he had not returned home since leaving for Narela on his scooter a day earlier. Investigators suspected foul play and quickly focused on Bhardwaj’s former servant Mehto, who had disappeared the same day.
Police found that Bhardwaj had recently received Rs 4.5 lakh as part payment from a plot sale and was last seen with Mehto. Witnesses also confirmed that Bhardwaj frequently visited the accused’s rented accommodation.
A massive search was conducted across Azadpur, Mukundpur, Narela and Rohini, but call detail records and movement analysis yielded no leads. With conventional methods failing, investigators turned to digital surveillance and traced Mehto’s son, Abhishek alias Vishal, through his Instagram activity on February 12.
During probe, the 19-year-old allegedly confessed that his father murdered Bhardwaj on January 28 and disposed of the body with his help. He also claimed that the victim’s son, Love Bhardwaj was involved. Acting on his disclosure, police recovered Bhardwaj’s decomposed body from a drain.