Delhi Police have solved the murder of a man whose face had been mutilated beyond recognition by identifying him through a tattoo on his hand. Three men have been arrested in connection with what police described as a revenge killing. According to officials, the accused remained on the run for over six weeks, travelling across multiple states to evade arrest.
The victim was identified as 34-year-old Chandan Saini, a resident of Nehru Vihar in north Delhi. His body, bearing multiple stab wounds, was recovered from the Yamuna Khadar area in Wazirabad on May 21. Police said the investigation progressed after officers noticed a tattoo on his hand featuring two names and a symbol, which ultimately helped establish his identity.
"The victim was identified as Chandan Saini (34), a resident of Nehru Vihar in north Delhi, whose body with multiple stab injuries was found in the Yamuna Khadar area in Wazirabad on May 21," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said in a statement.
Investigators said Saini's face had been severely disfigured, making visual identification impossible. They circulated photographs of the tattoo in the local area, which led to his identification.
Further inquiry revealed that Saini was listed as a bad character at Timarpur police station and had previously been involved in five criminal cases related to snatching, burglary and theft. Following the registration of a murder case at Wazirabad police station, special teams were formed to investigate the incident and identify those responsible.
Police examined CCTV footage from Saini's neighbourhood as well as the route leading to the crime scene. The footage showed him boarding an autorickshaw outside his residence on the night of May 20-21. "Although the registration number of the autorickshaw could not be identified, the footage confirmed that Saini had voluntarily left with its occupants," the officer said.
The investigation took a significant turn after police questioned Surjeet alias Bacchi, an associate of Saini who was also listed as a bad character at Timarpur police station. During interrogation, Surjeet told investigators that Saini had a long-standing rivalry with Tarun alias Tanni and frequently abused him and his associates.
He further revealed that on May 18, two days before the murder, Saini and his associates had allegedly assaulted Tarun's brother, Saurabh, and attempted to abduct him following an altercation.
Based on these disclosures, police identified Tarun as the prime suspect. However, by the time officers raided his residence, he had already fled. Investigators later discovered that Tarun's cousin, Sunny Mahajan from Amritsar, and his friend Dheeraj had also gone missing after the incident.
Police said the three accused continuously changed locations, travelling through Mumbai, Amritsar, Katra in Jammu, Haridwar, Loni in Ghaziabad and several other places to avoid capture. They frequently stayed at gurdwaras during their escape and eventually returned to Delhi around 10 days before their arrest, taking shelter near Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk.
"On July 5, acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Dheeraj from Loni in Ghaziabad. Based on his interrogation, Tarun and Sunny were arrested later the same day from a mortuary in north Delhi," DCP Banthia said.
During interrogation, Tarun allegedly confessed that he had planned the murder to avenge the assault on his brother. According to police, he enlisted the help of Sunny and Dheeraj, hired an autorickshaw and persuaded Saini to accompany them on the pretext of drinking alcohol.
Investigators said the trio attacked Saini inside the autorickshaw before taking him to a secluded forested area near Yamuna Khadar, where they repeatedly stabbed him to death. They then fled Delhi and moved across several states to avoid arrest.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The case, which initially began with the recovery of an unidentified and badly disfigured body in Wazirabad, was ultimately solved after investigators identified the victim through a tattoo, reconstructed his final movements and followed evidence that led to the arrest of Tarun, Sunny Mahajan and Dheeraj.
