Chhattisgarh: Greed, betrayal behind cement-filled suitcase murder; police arrest four

Raipur, June 25 (IANS) Raipur Police have cracked the sensational suitcase murder case that shocked the city last week. The body of Kishore Paikra, a disabled man in his 30s, was found stuffed in a cement-filled suitcase dumped in the bushes behind Indraprastha Phase-2 of the state capital.

The investigation led to the arrest of four individuals, including the prime accused, lawyer Ankit Upadhyay, and his wife Shivani Sharma, who were apprehended at Delhi airport while attempting to flee.

According to police, the murder was premeditated and rooted in a financial dispute. The prime accused, Ankit, allegedly wanted to seize an ancestral house in which Kishore used to live.

Kishore had sold land worth Rs 30 lakh in Tilda’s Madhi village in 2018 with Ankit’s help, for which Ankit received a Rs 2 lakh commission.

Later, police officials said, Ankit allegedly took Rs 10 lakh more from Kishore, promising to resolve disputes over additional land parcels. When no progress was made, Kishore began demanding his money back.

Ankit, who had also been eyeing Kishore’s remaining Rs 18 lakh, grew frustrated with the pressure and the expenses of caring for him after a bicycle accident left Kishore immobile.

The couple rented a flat in Indraprastha Phase-2 on June 19, paying Rs 6,500 online. On June 21, they lured Kishore to the flat under the pretext of cleaning work in his ancestral house.

After feeding him breakfast, Ankit strangled him while Shivani held his legs. Ankit then stabbed him in the neck to ensure death. The body remained in the flat for two days as the couple searched for a way to dispose of it. Initially, they tried to use a suitcase but excessive bleeding made it unusable.

They bought a new box, filled the suitcase with cement to mask the odour, and placed it inside.

With help from acquaintances Vinay and Suryakant Yadav, they transported the heavy box via lift and dumped it in nearby bushes during daylight hours.

Their act caught on CCTV camera. Later, both the accused fled to Delhi, where they were planning to settle.

The breakthrough came when police traced the suitcase to the rented flat using digital payment records and eyewitness accounts. The landlord confirmed the couple’s identity.

All four accused have been arrested and will be produced in court. Police plan to conduct a scene recreation as part of the on-going investigation.

--IANS

sktr/pgh