Man held guilty of killing business partner in Delhi’s Geeta Colony in 2014

A Delhi court on June 4, found a man guilty of killing his business partner. The case dates back to September 21, 2014 when a sub-inspector passing by a shop in Delhi’s Geeta Colony, found a foul smell coming out of it and flies buzzing outside the shutter. He informed the family of the shop owner, Honey Rajpal, and demanded the shop be opened. When officers opened the shutter, they found blood on the glass door and walls, articles scattered and the decomposed body of a man wrapped in a curtain. He was identified as Mohit Kaushal, one of the three business partners of Rajpal. The four ran an advertising company from the shop.

The police also found that Rajpal was absconding and on September 26, 2014 issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Rajpal was arrested from Chandigarh on September 28. Additional sessions judge Surinder Kumar Sharma while pronouncing Rajpal guilty noted that the case rested entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rajpal’s counsel had contested that there is no direct evidence against the him that Kaushal was last seen in Rajpal’s company.

Kaushal’s wife, Tripti Kaushal, however, told the police that two days prior to the day when the body was recovered, her husband had gone on to meet Rajpal on his scooter. Police also reproduced call data records reflecting that the Rajpal had indeed called Kaushal at 5:40 am on September 19 asking him to come to his shop. She said that when around 7:15 am she called her husband, his phone was not reachable. She then called Rajpal who told her that he had gone to Karnal in a car to collect a payment and later during the day, he dropped Kaushal’s scooter at his house.

The court noted that this proved “the deceased Kaushal met accused Rajpal after he left his house and the scooter of Kaushal came in the possession of accused.” The judge further observed that Rajpal has offered “no explanation” regarding this.

“Hence, in my considered opinion, the chain of circumstantial evidence is complete against the accused,” said the court and listed the matter on quantum of punishment for June 7.