Cab driver found murdered in alleged honour killing

NOIDA: A 25-year-old cabbie's mutilated body was found in his car in Sector 63 on Wednesday morning. The victim, identified as Ajay Singh, was an original resident of Gulaothi in Bulandshahr. The police are suspecting 'honour killing' as he had married a woman against the wishes of her family recently.

According to police, Ajay's body was found in his abandoned Swift Dzire car nearly 200 meters from Phase-III police station in Sector 71 in the morning. They suspect he was strangulated as there were injury marks on his face and neck. He was staying in a rented accommodation in Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad.

Ajay was working as a cab driver with an MNC in Gurgaon, said cops. The cab belonged to his relative, Navneet, who stays in Greater Noida. Family members said that Ajay had married a woman, Devika, of Mamura village, six months ago. The wedding was held in an Arya Samaj temple in Ghaziabad. They married without the knowledge of their families.

Though Ajay's family accepted the couple later, Devika's family did not approve of it. Her family members were recently planning to organise her second marriage with another person but she objected to it, said police.

Arvind, Ajay's cousin, said that on Wednesday morning a few security guards of an adjacent building spotted the body and informed police. "The body was dumped in the isle of the car. His identity was established with the help of some documents found in the car," he said. The police later informed his family members and the car owner.

Arvind alleged that on Tuesday night, the victim was called by his in-laws to resolve the issue of his marriage. However, he was found murdered a few hours later, he said.

According to police, the GPS location of his cab was near his in-laws' house at night. Records also showed that Ajay had returned from Gurgaon to Noida at around 1.22am on Wednesday. Around 2am, the car moved towards Sector 67 and then to Sector 63. The security guards at the adjacent building said they had spotted two men fleeing from the car early morning but could not identify them.

The victim's family said that Ajay's in-laws had thrashed him three months ago and warned him to keep away from his wife.

Rajeev Kumar Singh, circle officer, Noida II, said that a case of murder had been registered against unknown persons in this regard.

The police have picked up the woman, her brother and father for interrogation. "We are also investigating whether there was any personal enmity. We are collecting electronic evidences to join the dots," he said.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and the report is awaited.

Meanwhile, Devika has accused Arvind for a hand in her husband's murder. She alleged that Arvind had asked her husband to drive his car but he refused. "They had quarrelled over the issue some time back. He had also threatened my husband of consequences. His role should be investigated," Devika told police.