The body of a man, found near Bastara village along National Highway-44 in Karnal district, has been identified as 28-year-old Manav, a resident of Hoshiarpur, who was allegedly kidnapped from Delhi shortly after dropping his family at the airport.
His bullet-riddled body was recovered on May 16, but the victim remained unidentified initially. The breakthrough came late Monday evening when Manav’s mother arrived in Karnal and identified the body.
Family members alleged that Manav had been facing issues with some agents who had facilitated his travel abroad, prompting the police to investigate whether the murder was linked to a financial dispute or personal enmity.
The Karnal police are also coordinating with the Delhi Police as the alleged kidnapping took place in the national capital.
The police suspect that Manav was abducted from Delhi before being taken to Karnal, where he was shot dead and his body dumped near bushes along the highway. The police are probing both kidnapping and murder angles while examining CCTV footage and forensic evidence to trace the accused.
The SHO, Madhuban, said the victim had recently returned from Malaysia along with his wife and children. On the night of May 15, Manav had gone to the Delhi airport to drop his family for Malaysia. After leaving the airport, he reportedly went missing under suspicious circumstances around 9:40 pm.
The body was spotted by local residents, following which the police were informed. Officials from Madhuban police station reached the spot and shifted the body for post-mortem examination after registering a murder case. The police said the victim had sustained a gunshot injury on the head, indicating a planned killing. “We have handed over the body to the family after the post-mortem. For further investigation, we are in touch with the Delhi Police,” said the SHO.
Police teams are examining CCTV footage from the Delhi airport, toll plazas and NH-44 to track the movement of the accused. Mobile phone records and other forensic evidence are also being analysed. No arrests had been made till the filing of this report.
