Mathura police have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly murdering his uncle, a jewellery businessman, and looting cash and valuables worth approximately Rs 1.3 crore. The accused was identified as Ritesh Agarwal.
Police said they recovered 45.9 kg of silver, 19.6 grams of gold, Rs 18,000 in cash, a scooter allegedly used in the crime and the murder weapon — a pointed awl (suja) — from his possession. Agarwal was arrested near Radhapuram on the Vrindavan–Mathura road on Tuesday.
The victim, Satish Chandra Garg (60), was found murdered at his residence on January 4. Jewellery, silverware, cash and his mobile phone were missing from the house. Garg lived alone, as his children were employed outside Mathura. The post-mortem report revealed that the murder had taken place at least 24 hours before the body was discovered.
Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said the accused was addicted to online betting and had accumulated debts of around Rs 35 lakh. “He was aware that Garg lived alone and took advantage of the situation,” the SSP said.
Following a complaint by the deceased’s son, an FIR was registered at Govind Nagar police station under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 309(6) (robbery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Six police teams were constituted to probe the case, and CCTV footage played a crucial role in identifying the suspect.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. He told police that he had purchased the weapon a day earlier and attacked his uncle while he was asleep, before fleeing with the valuables. Further investigation is underway.
