india

Updated: Mar 27, 2019 10:51 IST

Police have recovered the bones of a 55-year-old man who was allegedly thrashed and thrown into a boiler by six assailants in Jind’s Kalwa village. Six men were arrested in the case.

The deceased has been identified as Dharampal Singh, a farmer. He had been missing since March 21.

Police say Dharampal’s son Ajay had a fight with village resident Badal and his friends on Holi (March 21) over an old issue. As his son came home injured, Dharampal went to Badal’s house to complain. He had been missing since then.

On March 22, Dharampal’s family lodged a police complaint against Badal and his five friends for allegedly kidnapping his father. Police said they had registered a complaint and launched a hunt to nab the accused who had fled their homes.

Four days later, police managed to arrest the accused, who confessed to have killed Dharampal. They led the police to a bitumen tank being used by a road construction company to heat tar. The accused told the police they threw Dharampal’s body inside the tank.

The police then used cutters to retrieve the body, but only found some bones of Dharampal as the rest of it had been burnt in the boiling tank.

“The bones from his legs, hands and skull have been recovered. They have been sent for post-mortem and the report is awaited,” said SHO Anil Kumar of Pillukhera police station said.

He said the accused have claimed that Dharampal died in assault and his body was thrown in the tank to hide evidence. “Their claims could not be verified as of now,” said Kumar.

The six people arrested by the police include a policeman. Head constable Brijender was posted with Panipat police and had come home on the occasion of Holi. Other five arrested have been identified as Jitender, Badal, Deepak, Dharmender and Ravinder— all residents of Kalwa village.

They were produced in court that sent them on two-days police remand.