3 youths held for killing friends, planting false story

New Delhi: Three youths here have been arrested for allegedly killing their two friends last month and then implanting a false story of their drowning in the Munak Canal in Samaipur Badli area, police said today.

Accused Sachin Dabas, 19, Shahrukh Ali, 20, and Deepak Sethi, 20, were arrested yesterday in connection with the double murder of their friends Yash Nandal, 20, and Prince Dixit, 21, over a financial dispute, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.

Police had received a call regarding drowning of Yash and Prince in Munak canal near village Khera Kalan, on June 7.

Their bodies were recovered from Yamuna river in Wazirabad on June 9.

Separate complaints were lodged by parents of the deceased boys suspecting foul play in the unnatural deaths of their sons.

An FIR was registered in the case at Samaipur Badli police station after the post mortem report of deceased were received on June 25. The accused boys were interrogated but the probe made no headway, Yadav said.

Later, the case was transferred to Crime Branch which again interrogated accused Shahrukh, Sachin and Deepak who confessed their involvement in the crime, said the officer adding that they were arrested after sufficient evidence came on record.

During interrogation it was revealed that Shahrukh had started a business in which Yash had invested money but later the business flopped and he did not return the money, Yadav said.

Yash and his close friend Prince had repeatedly pressurised Shahrukh for the money that turned him annoyed, he said.

On June 7 the three accused as well as Yash and Nandal planned of having liquor and bathing in the Munak canal. They reached the canal after drinking liquor.

The accused managed to get the victims sloshed before they reached the canal where Shahrukh kicked Prince into the flowing water.

Yash jumped to save his friend but the other accused also jumped behind him and later they joined and both of them with stones and slammed their heads into the wall of the canal.

After killing Yash and Prince, the trio hid their belongings and cell phone and planted a false story of their drowning. They also tried to destroy the evidence, Yadav said.

Police have recovered a pant and a SIM card of Yash on the instance of the accused, he added.