Delhi Police arrests accused in Jharkhand murder case, victim’s brother also named

Delhi Police has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping and killing a man following a minor argument after a drinking session. The victim’s body was later concealed in a forest area in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district, an official said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Sukhdev Murmu alias Tala (30), was arrested from Yamuna Bazar area in connection with a kidnapping-cum-murder case registered at Borio police station in Sahibganj district.

Police said the victim, Champai Marandi, was allegedly strangled by his companions after a heated altercation while consuming liquor. One of the co-accused is reportedly the victim’s brother.

According to police, the case was registered on May 21after Marandi went missing under suspicious circumstances. During investigation, his body was recovered from a forest nearly 10 days after the murder, following which murder charges were added to the FIR.

Investigators found that the deceased was last seen consuming liquor with the accused persons before an argument broke out. Police said the accused allegedly strangled Marandi and later hid the body in the forest to destroy evidence before fleeing the village.

The breakthrough came after police received information about the presence of one of the accused near Hanuman Mandir in Yamuna Bazar. The informer allegedly told police that Sukhdev Murmu had disclosed his involvement in the murder while hiding in Delhi.

The information was shared with Borio police station in Jharkhand, where local police confirmed that the accused persons had been absconding after the crime. Murmu was apprehended around 11 am on May 24, police said.

During interrogation, Murmu allegedly revealed that on May 12, he, along with co-accused Babuji Marandi and Mangal Tudu, had consumed liquor with the deceased. During the drinking session, an argument escalated, after which the co-accused allegedly strangulated Champai Marandi while Murmu assisted them in committing the crime.

Jharkhand Police later arrived in Delhi and took custody of the accused on transit remand after obtaining court permission.

Police said Murmu is a native of Sahibganj district and works as a farm labourer.