Dwarka: A 48-year-old canteen operator from Dwarka was allegedly murdered in a chilling robbery plot, with his body dismembered and dumped in the Yamuna river. Delhi Police have arrested four people, including a woman, while one suspect remains on the run.
The victim, Anroop Gupta, managed a canteen at Chhattisgarh Niwas in Dwarka. According to investigators, the prime accused, 29-year-old Happy alias Suraj, had cultivated a friendship with Gupta over the past year. Police say the accused became aware of the gold jewellery Gupta often wore and learned that he was living away from his family — details that allegedly fueled the conspiracy.
On February 18, Gupta was invited to a gathering at a rented accommodation in Matiala Extension. There, police allege, he was overpowered, tied up and assaulted by Happy and his accomplices, who demanded money. During the assault, Gupta reportedly told them that his gold ornaments were kept inside his SUV parked at Chhattisgarh Niwas.
The accused allegedly took his car keys, retrieved the vehicle and collected the jewellery. However, when further demands for cash were not met, they stabbed him to death, police said.
In what officers described as an act of extreme brutality, the main accused is alleged to have used a sharp weapon to cut the body into pieces. The remains were packed into plastic bags, transported in the victim’s own SUV and later discarded in the Yamuna near Vrindavan.
To divert suspicion, the accused allegedly left Gupta’s mobile phone inside the car and continued sending messages from it. Staff at the canteen were instructed via text to shut the outlet and leave, while a separate message was sent to his family claiming he had gone on a holiday to Goa and should not be disturbed.
The case surfaced when Gupta’s family lodged a missing person complaint at Dwarka North police station on February 23 after failing to reach him. A dedicated team was formed, and a formal investigation was initiated at Bindapur police station.
Police teams examined CCTV footage from multiple locations, including toll plazas and areas near the victim’s residence. Footage revealed that Gupta had booked a bike ride on the day of his disappearance, leaving his SUV parked before heading to Matiala Extension. He was seen entering a building there but never exiting. Later recordings showed several individuals entering the same premises.
Investigators also tracked the suspicious movement of Gupta’s SUV. Toll data from the National Highways Authority of India confirmed that the vehicle travelled towards Vrindavan via the Yamuna Expressway during the night of February 19–20 and returned within hours.
Following coordinated efforts with Uttar Pradesh Police in Mathura district, the mutilated remains were recovered from the river. After identification and post-mortem examination, the body parts were handed over to the family.
Police have identified the accused as Happy, a resident of Hansi in Haryana, along with Bhupender, Balram and Rakhi, who is said to have been his live-in partner. All four have been arrested. Another suspect, Neeraj, is absconding, and efforts are underway to locate him.
Investigators are also examining Gupta’s recent movements and associations, including identifying a woman who was reportedly staying with him in Dwarka Sector 14. Authorities say they are piecing together CCTV footage from various locations to establish a complete timeline of events.
The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to search for the remaining accused and gather further evidence in the case.
