A 22-year-old man, Rishikesh, from Chakeri in Kanpur, was brutally murdered and beheaded over his relationship with a friend’s sister. The incident occurred on August 30, when Rishikesh was called out under the pretext of attending a Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. Two acquaintances, Nikhil and Mowgli, lured him from home. They then kidnapped him with the help of other accused.

Taken to Forest, Tied, Beheaded

According to police, Rishikesh was taken to a secluded forest area in the Kakori region, where six others were already waiting. The group, allegedly led by his friend Pawan Mallah, tied Rishikesh’s hands and legs, thrashed him, and then slit his throat. His head was severed to avoid identification. The killers brought sacks to transport the body parts.

Body Dumped in River, Murder Filmed

The body was carried in a stolen e-rickshaw to the Jajmau bridge, where the accused dumped the remains into different parts of the River Ganga. Police said that Pawan, who had a criminal background and was recently released from jail, was enraged after learning about Rishikesh’s relationship with his sister. He reportedly filmed the entire murder on his phone.

“Rishikesh’s brother had filed a missing person’s report after he failed to return home on August 30. He also said that some people had come to their house and kidnapped his brother, and that something untoward might have happened to him. Following the investigation and the arrest of four people, we learnt that Pawan orchestrated the entire plan of murdering Rishikesh after finding out about his relationship with his sister,” DCP Satyajit Gupta said.

Investigation and Arrests

The crime came to light after Rishikesh’s brother, Ravi Kumar, filed a missing person’s report. Based on CCTV footage and witness statements, four of the eight accused were arrested. They confessed during interrogation and named the remaining accomplices, including Pawan and his brother Bobby. Both fled their residence after the murder.

“Two of the accused – Nikhil and Mowgli – kidnapped and took Rishikesh to a forest in the Kakori region. Six remaining accused were already present in the forest. They first tied the victim’s hands and legs, and thrashed him. Then, he was beheaded. An accused, namely Danny, had brought sacks with him, which were used to put the decapitated head and torso of Rishikesh. Pawan had stolen an e-rickshaw, in which they carried the body parts of the victim before throwing them into the river. We are looking into whom the vehicle belonged to. We have sent the body for postmortem and will do a DNA sampling as well,” the DCP added.

Police Pursuit Continues

DCP Satyajit Gupta confirmed that a postmortem and DNA tests are underway. The stolen e-rickshaw used to transport the body is also under investigation. Gupta said that one of the accused claimed Pawan had recorded the murder in his phone. “Once he’s arrested, we’ll look into his phone and do forensic analysis of the contents,” the DCP added.

The police are actively searching for the remaining four suspects, including the main accused Pawan. Forensic analysis of Pawan’s mobile phone is planned once he is apprehended.