Overview
- The body of 34-year-old watchman Manojkumar Yadav was found with his hands tied inside a ground-floor water tank at the Abhijit Building after he went missing following the intervening night of August 1 and 2.
- Investigators say the suspects befriended Yadav, spiked his drink or tried to sedate him, then strangled him when the robbery attempt failed to prevent him identifying them, and a preliminary post-mortem confirmed strangulation.
- Police have arrested five people and named Jogeshwar Udan Mallik, a long-term family cook, as the alleged mastermind while the others include a driver and three accomplices; all five have been charged under sections for murder and criminal conspiracy and remanded to custody.
- Detectives credited witness interviews, enquiries with neighbouring staff, CCTV footage and a tracked purchase of gloves for locating suspects and say the group avoided phone contact and used in-person meetings to reduce detection.
- The case highlights risks from insider access in high-end residential buildings and investigators say forensic tests and further interrogations are ongoing as they pursue remaining leads and evidence.