Loni β Three men were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly murdering a 45-year-old hardware trader at an isolated location in the jungles of Tronica City in Uttar Pradesh late on Sunday night, according to law enforcement officials.
The body of the victim, Vinod Gupta, was discovered on Monday morning. Gupta had left his residence at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday and failed to return home. Following his disappearance, his family filed a murder first information report at the Tronica City police station on Monday, explicitly naming three suspects who had gone into hiding.
Investigators identified the primary suspect as a 27-year-old tenant of the victim who ran a car accessories shop on the premises. The two other individuals taken into custody are the prime suspect's 24-year-old brother and 28-year-old cousin.
During questioning, the suspects revealed that the tenant had accumulated heavy financial losses, including approximately 55 lakh rupees in the share market and about 2 lakh rupees from casino betting. Furthermore, he had purchased a plot of land from Gupta roughly two years prior for 20 lakh rupees, having paid only 3 lakh rupees initially. With the victim continuously pressuring him to settle the remaining balance and the tenant seeking an additional loan, a plan was hatched to eliminate him.
The prime suspect lured Gupta to the Mandola area in Tronica City under the pretense that someone would meet them there to deliver money owed to the trader. When Gupta arrived, the three relatives were waiting. An argument ensued concerning the financial disputes, which quickly escalated into a physical altercation.
During the struggle, the victim was repeatedly stabbed with a knife brought by the prime suspect. Investigators noted that the main suspect sustained a deep cut on his lips during the scuffle. Following the attack, all three suspects fled the scene, leaving Gupta behind.
An autopsy later revealed that Gupta sustained 11 injuries, including seven stab wounds. The police report noted that the victim's family had actually noticed a fresh, deep cut on the prime suspect's lips on the night of the attack, but the tenant remained silent when questioned by Gupta's son.
Police apprehended the prime suspect late Tuesday night during an operation in Tronica City. Authorities stated that while attempting to evade capture on a motorcycle, he opened fire on police officers, who returned fire and wounded him in the leg. His two accomplices were subsequently apprehended at the A-7 tri-crossing in Tronica City on Wednesday.