Smartwatch, vigilant neighbour help Delhi Police identify burnt body

Delhi: A smartwatch and a picture of a two-wheeler clicked by an alert neighbour became key evidence in the identification of a burnt-beyond-recognition body that was found at a vacant plot in Delhi’s Burari, police said.

On April 30, locals alerted police about a burnt body found in an isolated plot in Burari. A case was registered and multiple teams were formed to investigate the matter, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia told PTI, “The breakthrough came after teams retrieved a smartwatch, a burnt phone and a silver chain from the crime scene.”

“The face of the deceased was badly charred for visual identification,” he said, adding that the smartwatch and burnt phone became their first lead.

The teams began by tracing the smartwatch. The ownership trail led them to a woman who had recently gifted the gadget to her brother, 30-year-old Neeraj Nagpal, the DCP said.

This discovery prompted police to investigate further, including canvassing the area for more clues. Door-to-door inquiry led police to a woman, Kiran, who lives near the crime scene.

Kiran came forward with a crucial piece of evidence, a photo of a scooter, the DCP said.

The woman told police that she had recently noticed suspicious activity in the area where young men would often come to consume intoxicants, he said.

So, Kiran started keeping a tab of suspicious vehicles passing through the area.

The DCP said she clicked a picture of a scooter that matched the description of one used by such visitors.

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The registration number of the scooter was traced to Nagpal, again. The police then contacted his family, who confirmed that Nagpal had been missing since April 22 and a missing person’s report had already been lodged at Timarpur police station on April 25.

“The final confirmation came when the family identified the silver chain found on the body as belonging to Nagpal. The postmortem confirmed that death was due to burn injuries,” the DCP said.

“We are further investigating if there was any foul play behind Nagpal’s death,” he said.