Man hacked to death after verbal spat during drinking session

A 55-year-old was hacked to death with a chopper after a verbal spat during a drinking session. The accused spent the night with the body and visited the flat every day, police officials said on Saturday.

On October 30, police received a distress PCR call reporting “foul smell coming out from a locked flat” at Palam Colony. The police reached the spot and found the flat locked with a strong, foul odour emanating from it.

Fire brigade personnel were called in to assist who broke the window lock to get access to the flat. The flat was found ransacked. The police discovered that one roomin the house was locked from outside. After breaking the lock, a sack containing clothes was spotted from which an unbearable stench was emanating, officials said. The police found the decomposed body of a 55-year-old male, later identified as Devdas, the owner of the flat. An official said Devdas, who was unmarried, lived with a woman who had recently travelled to Andhra Pradesh.

“Through local inquiries and surveillance data, a suspect named Kartik, also known as pandit ji, emerged, an official stated.

Kartik, who had been looking after Devdas in the absence of the woman, was also missing. An officer privy to the investigation said that Kartik used to live near Devdas’s house and both used to usually sit together for drinks.

A breakthrough in the investigation came when the team traced Kartik, whose real name is Uchit Rawat, to Etah District, Uttar Pradesh. Officers conducted a raid and nabbed him at his native address.

“Rawat, 24, confessed to the murder. He recounted that on October 21, 2024, he visited Devdas around 8 pm. Both consumed alcohol, and an argument ensued, with Devdas allegedly abusing Rawat. Frustrated, Rawat attacked Devdas with a chopper that Devdas kept under his pillow.” an official said.

The official further said that Devdas had reportedly slapped Rawat on previous occasions. After the attack, Rawat locked the room from outside and stayed in the flat that night. He ensured the water supply continued by regularly visiting his house for 4-5 days before the smell became too strong to operate the motor before leaving for his village on October 27, police said.

The police recovered two lock keys, the accused’s blood-stained clothes, a broken lock, a hockey stick, and the chopper used in the crime.