Bodies dug out at graveyard in Ranchi, 1 held for twin murders
On Monday, around 8am, the body of a 17-year-old girl — she had been missing since December 25 was dug out at an isolated spot in the burial ground
Two murder victims, including a minor girl, have been found within three days inside Anjuman Islamia Committee’s 32-acre burial ground at Ratu Road in the heart of the capital city, sending shock waves through residents. According to the investigations so far, the two murders are related.
On Monday, around 8am, the body of a 17-year-old girl — she had been missing since December 25 — was dug out at an isolated spot in the burial ground. Before this, on Saturday morning, workers at the burial ground had informed police about finding a freshly dug grave, from which the body’s toes were protruding. The police later identified the victim as Anurag Vishwakarma alias Sonu alias China (20) of Badhai Mohalla under Sukhdeo Nagar police station limits.
Ranchi superintendent of police Sujata Kumari Veenapani said that Vishwakarma was hacked to death. Investigations revealed the involvement of a minor boy, who was questioned. The minor revealed the whereabouts of the main accused, Anmol Varma alais Kanti alias Sunny (19) of Dhobi Mohalla in Suryapuri under Pandra police station limits.
Anmol was arrested on Sunday. “In his confession, the accused said that he had a love affair with a woman for the past five years. He killed both [the victims] as he suspected they were driving a wedge into his relationship with the woman,” said the SP.
This is how the police have reconstructed the murders:
On December 26, around 8pm, Anmol asked the minor girl to accompany him for meeting someone. After reaching Pahari Mandir area, the accused and his two friends asked the girl to accompany them inside the graveyard. The trio later stabbed her with knives and buried the body, the SP said.
She said that Anmol then brought his friend Vishwakarma to the burial ground on January 9, where he and his friend hacked the victim to death. “We’ve found several bottles of alcohol at the blood-splattered spot where Vishwakarma was killed. It appears that the accused and his friends frequented the graveyard for drinking alcohol,” the SP said.
According to the officer, Anmol’s love interest was not talking to him, as the woman suspected that he was having another affair with the minor girl. Anmol, in turn, suspected that his acquaintance Vishwakarma and the girl had conveyed false information to his lover. “To take revenge for the rift with his love interest, the accused killed both,” said the SP.
Three people are absconding — two involved in the murder of the minor girl, and one person named Amar involved in the killing of Vishwakarma. The police were conducting raids to arrest them, said the SP. While the minor was missing from her home since December 25, a missing report was registered only on January 8, she said. The girl frequently stayed away from home for days at a stretch, so her family was initially not worried, according to the police.
When this correspondent visited the spot, blood-splattered leaves and several bottles of alcohol along with oil-soaked paper packets used for wrapping snacks were seen at the spot.
Shahid Akhtar, member of the Anjuman Islamia Committee, said that the burial ground’s 10ft-high boundary walls were equipped with LED lighting, but that the small gate near Pahari Temple was a weak spot for security. Akhtar added that the burial ground was the largest in Jharkhand, and workers were present on the premises round-the-clock, but the accused had chosen isolated spots for the crimes.
The SP said that the security system of the burial ground was being analysed, and steps would be taken to prevent the entry of miscreants.
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