Families allege foul play as Rs 1.5 lakh missing; police suspect carbon monoxide poisoning
Three businessmen friends were found dead under mysterious circumstances inside a car in South Delhi’s RK Puram area on Monday night. The deceased have been identified as Nishant Dutta (25), Balwinder Sing, alias Mintu (34), and laxman, alias Raju (37). The victims ran an event-management business.
The families of the deceased have alleged foul play as around Rs 1.5 lakh is missing from the car. Police are looking into all the angles, but prima facie they suspect it to be the case of carbon monoxide poisoning through the AC of the car.
According to family members, laxman had taken Rs 90,000 and Nishant had taken Rs 60,000 from their homes to pay the amount as advance to someone. The money was missing from their possession where they were found motionless in the car. Initial investigations did not find any signs of alcohol or intoxicant inside the car. laxman resided in J block in RK Puram, which is just 500 metre away from the incident spot.
Initial autopsy reports hint at poisoning and asphyxia. The gesture of the bodies indicates towards leisure discussion among the three before they fell unconscious. However, investigators are waiting for the viscera report and the final post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death. No injury marks were found on the bodies of the three men.
According to the police, a PCR call was received around 10.30 pm on Monday that three men were lying unconscious in a Honda City car in front of the market in RK Puram Sector-4. A police team rushed to the spot and took the victims to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where they were declared brought dead.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) BS Jaiswal said that around 11.30 am Balwinder left his residence in Kishangarh and then picked up Nishant from his residence in laxmi Bai Nagar around 2:30 pm. “later, laxman was also picked up from his residence around 3.30pm. Around 5.30 pm they parked their vehicle outside laxman’s grocery store. The air conditioner of the car was found running when they were found motionless in the car. Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPc are underway,” Jaiswal said.
The car in which they were found dead belonged to Balwinder. laxman’s brother Kanhaiya, who was at the grocery store, situated across the road where the car was stationed till 9.45 pm, said that he last saw his brother around 7.10 pm when he had come to purchase a packet of wafers from the store.
“I called laxman around 10 pm but he did not answer. I then called Balwinder around five times but he too did not answer. I thought they must be busy so I did not bother. After dinner, my father and I were taking a stroll near our residence when we saw a crowd gathered near our shop. They were looking towards the car. My father rushed and saw laxman and his friends lying motionless inside the vehicle,” said Kanhaiya.
He added that Balwinder was lying on the driving seat, whereas laxman and Nishant were found unconscious on the back seat. locals took the trio out and tried to resuscitate them by artificial respiration until the PCR vehicle came. The PCR took Balwinder and laxman to AIIMS and Kanhaiya’s younger brother drove the Honda City with Nishant on the back seat and rushed him to AIIMS Trauma Centre. They were all declared brought dead at AIIMS.