A minor argument over a fare escalated into a brutal murder in west Delhi's Naraina area, where a van driver bludgeoned a passenger to death with bricks over a dispute involving roughly one thousand rupees. Following the killing, the accused enlisted his family members to conceal the body and destroy evidence, prompting a police investigation that ultimately resulted in the arrest of the driver, his wife, and his son, though the victim remains unidentified.
The Dispute Began in Gurugram
According to police details, the primary accused has been identified as 59-year-old Rajinder Kumar, also known as Anno, a resident of Naraina village. During questioning, Rajinder revealed that on August 17, he picked up a passenger in his Maruti Eeco van from IFFCO Chowk in Gurugram. As the journey progressed, a verbal altercation broke out between the two men over a fare of approximately one thousand rupees.
Fatal Blows Delivered With Bricks
The argument quickly spiralled out of control, blinding Rajinder with rage. In a fit of anger, he picked up a brick and struck the passenger multiple times on the head and body. Sustaining severe and critical injuries, the passenger succumbed to the blows. Following the murder, Rajinder called upon his 59-year-old wife, Kamini Makhija, and his 28-year-old son, Lakshya Makhija, to help dispose of the body. Police stated that the mother and son actively assisted him in hiding the remains and erasing traces of the crime.
Family Assisted in Destroying Evidence
As part of the cover-up, Rajinder's wife allegedly helped conceal the van, while their son aided in getting rid of the victim's clothes and shoes. The gruesome plot unravelled after local authorities received information about a body lying abandoned in the Naraina Vihar locality. Acting on a PCR call, officers from the Naraina police station rushed to the scene.
Upon arrival, police found the naked body of an unidentified man, approximately 35 years of age, lying on the pavement near the wall of a government school. Given the gravity of the situation, crime branch personnel and forensic experts were summoned to the location. After gathering essential evidence, the body was transferred to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. Identifying the deceased and determining who brought him to the spot posed a major challenge for investigators, as no eyewitnesses were present at the scene. Consequently, police initiated a thorough review of local closed-circuit television cameras.
CCTV Footage Leads Police to the Culprit
In the course of the investigation, police teams scanned roughly 500 CCTV recordings. Among the footage, a Maruti Eeco van was spotted moving through the area in a suspicious manner. While the vehicle's registration number was initially unclear, officers pieced together footage from multiple cameras to track the entire route taken by the vehicle. This technical surveillance ultimately led investigators straight to the owner of the van, which was registered under the name of Naraina village resident Rajinder Kumar.
Police promptly detained Rajinder and subjected him to sustained interrogation, during which he confessed to the murder stemming from the fare dispute. Authorities recovered the Maruti Eeco van based on information provided by Rajinder's wife, Kamini. Furthermore, acting on details shared by their son Lakshya, officers successfully recovered the victim's discarded clothes and shoes. All three accused individuals were formally arrested on Friday night, while police continue their efforts to establish the identity of the deceased.
