The mystery behind the burnt Maruti Ciaz car found atop the road on the Bawana canal on Tuesday has finally been solved with the police establishing the identity of its owner. The police said that they were able to establish the exact sequence of events only when the body of the businessman was recovered.
A 35-year-old businessman Praveen Malik, a resident of Chandpur village in Sonipat, drowned in Bawana canal while he was trying to save himself from being burnt alive in his car which had caught fire.
The incident took place at around 9.30 am on Tuesday when all of a sudden Malik’s car caught fire while he was heading towards his water treatment plant in Fatehabad area of Narela in Outer Delhi. Police sources said that in order to save himself, Malik rolled down the window of the vehicle.
A few meters away from the canal, police also found his completely burnt car. The police sources said that although no eyewitness came forward to inform the police about the burnt car or its missing occupant, it was only through local enquiry with their Haryana police counterparts that the Bawana police was able to establish the identity of the victim. Police said that the information of Praveen Malik was uploaded on ZIPNET by the Sonipat police.
However, since Malik had reached at the Bawana canal, he jumped into the canal to save himself and drowned. The incident was reported only on Thursday morning when a team of local divers found the body of Praveen Malik floating above the water.
The body was taken to a nearby mortuary and the investigation was launched said a police officer. Bawan Police was able to establish the identity of the man and his family in Sonipat was informed.
A senior police official said that the case has been transferred to the Sonipat police who are trying to ascertain what triggered the fire in the car. Malik is survived by his wife and two children.