A case of murder will be filed in Kankarkhera poilce station as soon as evidence is found (Representational)

The Meerut police have recovered pieces of skin and hair after digging in a borewell for four days in an effort to find the body of a 20-year-old man. According to the police, four persons were detained after Rupak Jain, a Meerut resident, went missing on June 25. They told the police that following a fight, they had killed Rupak, cut his body into pieces and dumped it near a brick kiln in Jitola village. Since then, the police have been using cranes and excavators to dig the 70 ft borewell at the spot, hoping to recover the body.

“We recovered skin and hair after digging around 50 ft. Samples were sent to the lab to confirm whether they belong to the victim or not. Rains have made the digging process difficult. If the samples belong to the victim, more parts of the earth will be dug to find the body,” said Akhilesh Singh, Superintendent of Police, Meerut (City).

According to the police, the victim had gone to a party with friends on June 25 and did not return. The family approached the police and an investigation was carried out, following which four his friends were detained. During questioning, they told police that they shot Rupak over an argument and buried the body. The suspects have not been arrested yet for lack of evidence, police said.

At least two cranes have pressed into service to dig at the identified spot for the past four days. At 45 feet, water seeped into the borewell, since a pipe is also there, delaying the police efforts. Even as there is apprehension that the suspects may not be telling the truth, the fresh recoveries are likely to fuel the search for the body. Villagers have also been part of the digging process, police said. The Meerut police is also seeking help from the irrigation department to help draw out water through pumps since the wet earth can impact the evidence as well.

The victim was a student in ITI (Industrial Training Institute), police said. The victim’s family members carried out a demonstration at Commissioner Crossing to protest against the delay in arresting of the accused. A case of murder will be filed in Kankarkhera poilce station as soon as evidence is found, police said.