The police investigation into the death of a 32-year-old civil services aspirant, whose charred body was recovered after a fire in Delhi’s Timarpur, has revealed that he was murdered by his 21-year-old live-in partner. She allegedly executed the chilling crime with the help of her ex-boyfriend and a mutual friend.
All three accused have been arrested following an in-depth investigation. According to police, the accused have confessed to the crime.
The woman allegedly planned her partner’s murder after he refused to delete her private videos stored on his personal devices.
According to the police, a fire was reported on October 6 in Timarpur’s Gandhi Vihar area. Upon reaching the spot, officers recovered a charred body from a fourth-floor flat, later identified as that of Ram Kesh Meena, a 32-year-old UPSC aspirant.
After registering a case, police launched a detailed investigation. CCTV footage from the building revealed two masked individuals entering the premises the evening before the fire. Shortly afterwards, one person left, followed by a man and a woman leaving together. The woman was later identified as Amrita Chauhan, Meena’s live-in partner. The footage also showed that the fire erupted soon after their departure. Mobile phone data placed Amrita near the flat at the time of the incident, prompting police to add murder charges and investigate further.
Amrita’s phone was found switched off after the incident. Following multiple raids, police arrested her on October 18, after which she disclosed the identities of her accomplices, her former boyfriend Sumit Kashyap and a common friend Sandeep Kumar. Sumit was apprehended on October 21 and Sandeep on October 23.
Amrita reportedly told police that she met Ram Kesh in May, and the two soon began a relationship, moving in together at the Gandhi Vihar flat. During their cohabitation, Meena allegedly recorded intimate videos of her and saved them on a hard drive. When Amrita discovered this, she demanded he delete the clips, but he refused. She then confided in Sumit, who became enraged. Together, they hatched a plan to kill Meena and make it appear as an accidental fire.
Sumit, who worked in LPG cylinder distribution, knew how to time explosions, while Amrita, a forensic science student with a keen interest in crime series, used her knowledge to plan the crime. They roped in their mutual friend Sandeep to assist.
Late on October 5, Sumit and Sandeep allegedly attacked Meena and strangled him to death. They then doused the body with oil, ghee, and wine to accelerate the burning. Police said Sumit removed a gas cylinder from the kitchen and placed it near Meena’s head, opening the valve to fill the room with gas. The trio took Meena’s two laptops, hard drive, and other valuables before setting the fire with a lighter and locking the main door. About an hour later, after they had left the building, the cylinder exploded, leaving Meena’s body charred.
Although the flames destroyed most of the evidence, the accused overlooked the CCTV cameras. Police later recovered the hard drive that had triggered the murder, along with Meena’s belongings. Two mobile phones belonging to the accused were also seized.
