Decomposed Body Found in Delhi Flat: Two Arrested, Husband on the Run

A day after the Delhi Police discovered the decomposing body of a 35-year-old woman hidden inside a bed at a flat in Shahdara, officers arrested two suspects in connection with the case. The deceased, identified as Anjali Kumar from Ludhiana, was allegedly murdered on March 23.

The police apprehended 64-year-old tuition teacher Vivekanand Mishra, who owned the flat, and 29-year-old Abhay Kumar Jha. Anjali’s husband, Ashish Kumar, is also a prime suspect but is currently absconding. Investigators revealed that Jha, Mishra, and Ashish hailed from Supaul district in Bihar and had known each other for years. However, the exact motive behind the murder remains unclear.

Suspicious Activities and Crime Scene Details

On Friday evening, residents of DDA Flats at Satyam Enclave alerted the police about a foul smell coming from a locked apartment. Officers arrived to find the house secured from the outside, with traces of blood near the back door.

“We sent a team and found that the house was locked from outside and some blood was found coming out from the back door. When we opened the door and entered a room, a decomposed body of a lady was found kept in a bag which was wrapped in a blanket and kept in a bed box,” said Additional DCP (Shahdara) Neha Yadav.

Investigators suspect the accused strangled Anjali, placed her body in a bag, wrapped it in a blanket, and concealed it inside the bed. To mask the odor, they lit incense sticks in the room. Neighbors also noticed Mishra behaving strangely and purchasing multiple bottles of phenyl in the days leading up to the discovery.

Anjali had been staying with her parents in Ludhiana, while her husband Ashish lived with Mishra in Delhi. Last week, Jha traveled to Ludhiana and later accompanied Anjali and Ashish to Mishra’s flat in Delhi. According to a police officer, a heated argument broke out between Anjali and Ashish, leading to her murder on March 23.

After committing the crime, Ashish and Jha left the city on March 24-25. However, Jha later returned, reportedly to help Mishra dispose of the body.

Arrests and Suspect’s Confession

DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam stated that Mishra was traced and arrested on Friday evening from Surajmal Park in Anand Vihar. During questioning, Mishra confessed to committing the crime with Ashish and Jha.

“He also identified the deceased as Ashish’s wife. We found that Jha had returned to Delhi on a flight to help Mishra dispose of the body. When he learned about Mishra’s arrest, he tried to flee to Bihar. Our team worked with the railway police and nabbed him from the Aligarh railway station,” the DCP said.

Planned Murder and Ongoing Investigation

Evidence suggests the crime was premeditated. Mishra’s phone records revealed he had been researching methods to dispose of a body using chemicals and had also searched for open manholes and drains near his residence.

While police continue their probe, the exact motive remains uncertain. “Everyone is giving a different story to us. We are trying to corroborate versions to see what happened. It looks like Mishra and Ashish were friends and lived together for a while. It is suspected that Ashish cheated on Anjali, and she caught him. Ashish is still on the run, so the motive is not confirmed,” said a police officer.

Efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend Ashish Kumar.