The Delhi Police have arrested a man for allegedly killing his cousin, putting her body in a suitcase and burning it with the help of an accomplice. The crime took place in the Ghazipur area of Delhi. Early Sunday morning, police got a call about a partially burnt suitcase containing human remains.
When they reached the spot, they found a badly charred body, likely of a woman aged between 20-35 years. The suitcase was almost completely burned, leaving only the steel handle and part of the bottom intact. The body was unrecognisable, with long hair being the only clue suggesting the victim was female.
Forensic and crime teams conducted an inspection at the scene, while the body was transported to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital mortuary for further examination. The police registered a case under sections 103(1), 238, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and began their investigation.
Tracking down the accused
Four specialised police teams were formed to analyse CCTV footage, track vehicle movements, and identify suspects. Tools like Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and manual data analysis were used to trace leads. Evidence suggested the body was burnt between 1:30 and 2:00 am.
The breakthrough came when officers narrowed down vehicles passing the area during the timeframe and traced a car to a man in Loni, who revealed he had sold the vehicle to Amit Tiwari.
Confession and victim identification
The police arrested Amit Tiwari and Anuj Kumar, both 22, from Khora Colony in Ghaziabad. Tiwari, a taxi driver, confessed to the crime under interrogation. The victim was identified as 23-year-old Shilpa Pandey, also known as Rani, who was Tiwari’s paternal cousin.
According to police, Shilpa had run away from her home in Surat in November and had been living with Tiwari. The two were allegedly involved in an illicit affair. Shilpa reportedly pressured Tiwari to leave his family and live with her permanently, threatening to implicate him and his family if he refused.
Events leading to the murder
On the day of the crime, an argument erupted between Tiwari and Shilpa while Tiwari was drinking. In a fit of rage, Tiwari allegedly immobilised Shilpa by hitting her with his elbow before strangling her. He then called his friend Anuj Kumar to assist in disposing of the body.
Disposal of the body
The duo spent hours driving around looking for a location to dump the body, initially planning to head to Western Uttar Pradesh. However, tight security checks on the Delhi-UP border due to Republic Day forced them to change their plan.
They eventually decided to leave the body in Ghazipur. They bought diesel at a petrol pump, covered the suitcase with straw near Ghazipur Paper Mandi, and set it on fire.
Why the crime went unnoticed
The fire and the smell of the burning body did not draw attention. Locals in the area frequently burn garbage piles to stay warm during winter nights. Additionally, the site was surrounded by garbage heaps and a murga mandi, which already emitted strong odors, masking the smell of burning flesh.
Shilpa’s family in Surat, who had reported her missing in November, was informed of her death on Monday. The tragic incident has left the family devastated, as investigations continue.
