Ghaziabad: A 24-year-old youth was allegedly beaten to death by five members of a family in the Nandgram area of Ghaziabad on Wednesday on the suspicion that he had stolen a camera. Two of his friends also allegedly sustained injuries in the attack.
On Thursday morning, police found Ronak Kumar’s body with multiple injury marks near Sangwan Heights housing society, some 3km from the spot. Ronak worked as a daily wager.
His brother-in-law Guddu said that Ronak and some of his friends went to set up a tent near the house of the accused — Dervesh Fouji — in the Nandgram area on Wednesday for a marriage anniversary celebration. “However, a camera belonging to the family went missing and they suspected that those who had come to set up the tent stole it.”
Later in the evening, Guddu said, Dervesh and his family members called Ronak and his two friends to their house again. “But they soon started beating the trio with sticks and belts. With folded hands, Ronak told them that he didn't steal anything but the beating did not stop,” he said.
When Ronak didn't reach home by late night, his family members called up his friends and came to know about his ordeal. “His two friends are being treated at a hospital,”Guddu said.
Nipurn Aggarwal, SP (City-1), said, “We got a call around 7am on Thursday and immediately a police team reached the spot near Sangwan Heights and took the body in their custody. By the evening, we managed to identify the body and track down the family members of the deceased. The family told us that he had gone out for work and was beaten to death by the house owner and his family members.”
On the basis of a complaint by Ronak’s family, an FIR has been registered against five persons — Dervesh, Satvir, Nitish, Rubby and Bobby — under sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 147 (punishment for rioting) of IPC and under the SC/ST Act.
“All the family members are currently absconding and policemen have been deployed at their house,” the SP City said. “We have sent the body for an autopsy and the report is awaited. The exact reason behind the death will be cleared after we get the report,” he added.
A senior cop, however, said that a security guard of the Sangwan Heights housing society “saw something” and “an investigation is underway”.