The Delhi police crime branch arrested two men on Sunday for allegedly murdering a man and running over his body to mislead police into treating it as a case of hit and run in Southwest Delhi’ Dwarka in late December.

The two arrested accused have been identified as Brahm Prakash (alias Sunny), aged 28 and a resident of Vikas Garden and Khajan Singh (alias Rinu), who is 30 years old and lives in Ranhaula Extension.

Police said they murdered Arun Prakash, a staffer with the Indian Air Force, on the intervening night of December 27 and December 28 and tried covering up their crime by making it look like a road accident. Brahm Prakash was allegedly in love with Arun’s wife, who is also Brahm’s cousin. Arun had begun objecting to Brahm visiting his house, which led to enmity between them, police said.

On December 28, the police got a PCR call at around 8 am with the information that a man was lying dead in Dwarka’s Sector-14. Police could find no trace of the vehicle which had reportedly hit the man nor any eyewitnesses to the accident. A case was registered in Dwarka North police station under charges of rash and negligent driving causing death. The man was identified as Arun, a resident of Raj Nagar in Palam, from the voter identity card recovered from his wallet, police said.

Police transferred the case to the crime branch under the supervision of DCP Bhisham Singh to investigate the case. Police said they questioned many of Arun’s relatives and, after a month-long investigation, came to the conclusion that Brahm Prakash could have masterminded the murder along with his associate Khajan Singh.

On Thursday, police received information that the accused Brahm and Khajan might be coming to a place near Balaji Chowk in Vikas Nagar. The two accused were arrested from the spot.

Joint commissioner of police (crime), Ravinder Yadav, said, “Brahm Prakash owns a Maruti van, which he used to ferry schoolchildren around in Dwarka area. He used to visit Arun’s house to meet his wife, who was Brahm’s first cousin. Arun suspected Brahm’s intention and had reported the matter to police. Brahm then hatched a plan to eliminate Arun, who was increasingly objecting to his visits to Arun’s house.”

Police said on the night of December 27, Brahma and Khajan called Arun to a vacant plot in Dwarka Sector-23, where they asked him to leave his motorcycle and get into Brahm’s car. They offered him liquor, too.

After Arun had had a few drinks, the two accused assaulted him with stones till he was unconscious. They then placed him on the road and ran their car over him, killing him on the spot. The duo fled and evaded arrest for nearly two months.”

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