The Hapur police have cracked the murder case of a Delhi-based realtor, Virendra Rai, who was found dead in a vacant field along National Highway 9 on January 13. The police made a breakthrough on Thursday with the arrest of Vikas Tomar, a 45-year-old man from Gurugram, who was identified as the business partner of the deceased.
Virendra Rai, 55, a resident of Dwarka in New Delhi, was discovered partially clothed and abandoned in the Babugarh area, near the highway. At first, the police struggled to make any progress on the case, scanning hundreds of CCTV cameras and consulting neighboring districts. However, after sustained investigation efforts, the police arrested Tomar, who was involved in a financial dispute with Rai.
According to Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, the motive behind the murder was a loan of Rs 2 lakh that Tomar had borrowed from Rai. Singh stated that Tomar, frustrated with the constant demands for repayment, decided to take matters into his own hands. “The two had a heated dispute over the unpaid loan, which ultimately led to Tomar’s decision to kill Rai,” he said.
SHO Babugarh, Vijay Gupta, added that both men had a criminal history and had initially met in Tihar Jail in 2022. After their release, they partnered in property dealings, with Tomar also dabbling in journalism. However, his extravagant lifestyle led him to borrow the money from Rai, which he struggled to repay.
The murder took place on the night of January 12. Tomar and Rai had drinks together in a car before Tomar drove the intoxicated Rai towards Ghaziabad in dense fog. There, near the Chhijarsi toll plaza, Tomar bludgeoned Rai with a brick before discarding his body in a vacant field. He then burned the victim’s bloodstained clothes in Delhi, keeping Rai’s mobile phone and watch as trophies.
The police were able to recover the murder weapon, the victim’s belongings, and the car used in the crime. Following the successful investigation, the Babugarh police team was rewarded with Rs 10,000 for their efforts.
