Three people found dead inside a parked car on the Peeragarhi flyover in northwest Delhi were murdered, police confirmed on Wednesday, claiming that a self-styled “baba” who promised to multiply money allegedly poisoned them and fled with their cash.
As per Hindustan Times report, the bodies were discovered on Sunday after passersby spotted the vehicle stationed on the service lane with its occupants lying motionless inside and alerted authorities. At first, investigators considered the possibility of suicide as there were no visible injury marks or signs of a struggle.
However, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said the case took a turn during the probe. A self-proclaimed tantrik, Kamruddin alias “baba”, has been arrested in connection with the triple murder. According to police, the accused orchestrated the crime as part of a premeditated plan to rob the victims.
Kamruddin, a resident of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly ran a so-called tantric centre where he lured people with promises of “dhanvarsha” sudden financial gains through rituals. Sharma said he would gain the victims’ trust before administering poison mixed in laddoos and then stealing their money and valuables. Police described him as a habitual offender with previous involvement in serious criminal cases.
Recovered from the car were liquor bottles, cold drink bottles, empty glasses, mobile phones, cash, helmets, jackets, Aadhaar cards and other personal belongings. The deceased were identified as Randhir (76), Shiv Naresh (42) and Laxmi (40), residents of Nangli Dairy, Baprola and Jahangirpuri in Delhi.
Family members ruled out suicide, prompting deeper investigation. Technical analysis and questioning of those connected to the victims revealed that all three had been in touch with Kamruddin, who allegedly convinced them he could perform rituals to bring financial prosperity.
Police said the trio had visited Loni a day before the incident and returned there again on the day of the murders. Technical evidence indicated that a fourth person was present in the car while they were returning later identified as Kamruddin. He is believed to have boarded the vehicle in Loni and exited before the crime came to light.
As per the reports, during interrogation, Kamruddin initially attempted to mislead investigators but later admitted to being introduced to Laxmi around two months ago. She subsequently introduced him to the other two victims. He allegedly persuaded them to arrange ₹2 lakh in cash along with liquor and soft drinks for a “pooja” promising monetary gain. Police said he carried poison-laced laddoos with him and joined them in their car.
According to Sharma, Kamruddin served them liquor, cold drinks and the poisoned sweets. Once they lost consciousness, he allegedly took the cash and escaped.
While preliminary examination suggested the deaths were due to ingestion of poison, investigators are continuing to piece together the exact sequence of events leading up to the killings.
