The DCP said the accused started planning the murder two-three months ago. (Representational Image)

A decomposing body of an unidentified man, covered with fresh leaves and twigs and floating in an open drain in south Delhi, left the Delhi Police perplexed — with a tattoo that read ‘ST’ as the only clue. This tattoo eventually led cops to the man’s wife, their minor daughter, and two more accomplices, who have been arrested for his murder.

On July 2, cops from Maidan Garhi police station recovered the body from a drain near Bhati village. “A kilometre away, we found an Eeco car and checked its registration number and details online, and discovered it belonged to a man whose initials were S and T, just like the tattoo. It was ascertained that the vehicle belonged to the man whose body had been found in the drain,” DCP (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

Since two accused are minor, identities of all have been withheld. The man’s brother revealed that he was a taxi driver and would often get into quarrels with his wife over what he perceived as her closeness with another man. “The man used to visit the couple’s home, and this enraged the victim, who started beating his wife and daughter frequently. The two, along with two others, allegedly decided to kill him,” said Thakur.

The DCP said the accused started planning the murder two-three months ago. “On June 30, the victim came home drunk, and the accused caught hold of him and strangled him,” said Thakur. A police officer said that “when the victim tried to resist, his daughter allegedly threw salt in his eyes. He was strangulated after which one of the accused took the body in the vehicle till a drain and dumped it.”