The body of a Maharashtra-based scrap dealer, kidnapped from Bihar on April 11, was found in National Highway-33 near Ghosi police station, officials said on Tuesday.
According to Jehanabad SP Arvind Pratap Singh, the Ghosi police had on April12 morning found an unidentified body having multiple injury marks.
“The body was preserved in mortuary for 72 hours for identification after the postmortem. Hours before a police team of airport police station (Patna) arrived and informed that the body was of Laxman Sadhu Sinde, who was abducted from Patna on April 11,” said the SP, adding that incident is being jointly investigated by Patna, Nalanda and Jehanabad police.
Singh told HT that the police handed over the body to Patna police on Monday evening.
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Police said that Sinde was residing at Indrayani co-operating housing society.
A missing case earlier was registered in Pune on basis of the statement of victim’s relative Vishal Lawaji Lokhande. Later, he arrived at Patna and registered kidnapping case with the Airport police station.
Lokhande said that Sinde arrived at Patna airport on the evening of April 11.
“Around 7:30pm, Sinde spoke to his wife over phone and informed that his friend Shivraaj Saagi would arrange a car for his travel to Jharkhand. When his wife made a call at around 9:30pm, she found that his mobile was switched off. An hour later, she received an SMS that her husband’s mobile was functional. So, she tried to call him again. An unidentified person answered the call, who informed that Sinde is in the washroom,” said Lokhande, adding that when she tried to call again, Sinde’s mobile phone was switched off.
When Shinde’s phone remained switched off for a long time, she called her brother-in-law and alerted him, police said.
On Monday, Patna Police received information about a middle-aged body found in Jehanabad.
“We are yet to ascertain the motive behind the kidnapping and murder of the Pune based businessman. Investigations are still underway, and we are scanning the call details of the scrap dealer and his associates,” said a senior police officer.
Police suspect that Shinde was killed elsewhere, and his body was dumped in Jehanabad.
Police have detained a few suspects from Hilsa for questioning.
Patna SSP Awakash Kumar said teams had been set up to investigate the murder.
“We are looking at the case from all angles and expect a breakthrough soon,” the SSP, Patna said.
