Police authorities in Lucknow have solved a high-profile double murder case with the arrest of five individuals, cracking the mysterious disappearance of a King George Medical University employee and his friend. Joint operational teams from the Madiaon police station and the Crime Branch apprehended prime conspirator Nitin Mishra, also known as Dabbu, along with four of his associates: Avneesh Maurya, Prakash Singh, Suraj Singh, and Mohit Singh. The victims have been identified as Pawan Garg, who worked as an assistant nursing superintendent in the orthopedic department at KGMU, and his companion Sachin Vishwakarma.
Extortion Plot Triggered by Planned Property Investment
Interrogation and case findings revealed that Pawan Garg had been actively looking to purchase property and was intending to invest an estimated 60 to 70 lakh rupees into real estate. The prime suspect, Nitin Mishra, was already an acquaintance of Garg and was aware of the substantial funds involved. Upon learning about the planned 60 to 70 lakh rupees transaction, Mishra devised a criminal plan to extort the cash. Using the pretext of showing a lucrative land parcel, Mishra asked Garg to travel down to the Itaunja locality on the outskirts of the city.
Captivity and Torture at Under-Construction House
Responding to the invitation, Pawan Garg arrived at the designated location in his Brezza car along with Sachin Vishwakarma. Nitin Mishra met them accompanied by his associates, travelling in a Thar and another four-wheeler. The group subsequently proceeded to the Fauji Dhaba, where they sat together for dinner and consumed alcohol. Once Garg and Vishwakarma were heavily intoxicated, the suspects transported them to an under-construction house situated within Itaunja. Inside the premises, the victims were tied up and held hostage while the gang demanded the extortion money.
Fatal Strangulation Following Overnight Interrogation
Throughout the night, the assailants subjected Pawan Garg to physical assault in an effort to extract the capital. Despite enduring sustained beatings across several hours, Garg refused to hand over or arrange the demanded cash. Realizing that their extortion plan had failed and fearing exposure, the accused strangled both Pawan Garg and Sachin Vishwakarma to death the following morning. Before disposing of the evidence, the suspects robbed gold chains and rings worn by the victims, loaded the two dead bodies into an automobile, and threw them into the Ghaghra River in neighboring Sitapur district.
Stolen Valuables Recovered While Search for Bodies Continues
The investigation originally began after Pawan Garg's family members lodged an official missing person complaint at the Madiaon police station on September 27. Following the latest arrests, law enforcement officers recovered the looted gold jewellery and successfully retrieved the victim's Brezza vehicle from Sitapur. Joint teams from the Lucknow and Sitapur police forces are presently conducting extensive search operations in the Ghaghra River to locate the bodies of both victims. Notably, the city had witnessed another chilling crime earlier in August when the corpse of transporter Dhirendra Pratap Singh was retrieved from a canal after he went missing.
