Delhi Police Arrest Two in Dwarka Murder Case; Hammer Used in Killing Recovered

Delhi Police have apprehended two men for allegedly murdering a 38-year-old man whose decomposed body was discovered near Kargil Chowk in Dwarka earlier this month. The case came to light on July 12, when police received information about an unidentified male body lying in a grassy area between a road and a drain near Kargil Chowk in Sector 18A, Dwarka. Officers found that the victim had multiple tattoos and a serious head injury. No identity documents were recovered from the scene.

Based on the initial findings, police registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Dwarka North Police Station and launched a detailed investigation. A joint team from the Special Staff and Dwarka North Police, working under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Subhash Malik, began examining evidence. Investigators reviewed footage from nearly 500 CCTV cameras installed around the crime scene and nearby routes to track the suspects' movements.

The deceased was eventually identified as Akhilesh Mandal (38), a resident of Najafgarh. Technical surveillance and CCTV analysis led police to arrest Anil Thakur (66), who lives in Dharampura, Najafgarh, and Raju Kumar (28), originally from Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted that Mandal had been living at Thakur's residence with his permission. However, police said repeated arguments between the two were fueled by Mandal's alleged alcohol addiction. The dispute reportedly escalated after Thakur decided to sell his house, a decision Mandal was opposed to.

According to investigators, on July 10, Thakur allegedly invited Mandal to Sector 13 in Dwarka. From there, the two accused are believed to have taken him to an isolated location where they allegedly attacked him, causing fatal injuries. After the incident, they reportedly returned to Dharampura in Najafgarh.

Police also claimed that Thakur, who was familiar with Mandal's family, allegedly attempted to mislead them following the murder, delaying any missing person complaint. During the investigation, officers recovered a blood-stained iron hammer, suspected to be the murder weapon, along with the clothes allegedly worn by the accused during the crime and their mobile phones. Police said the investigation is still ongoing, and further legal action will depend on additional evidence collected in the case.