The bodies were discovered on Sunday afternoon inside a white Tigor. The deceased included a 76-year-old man in the driver’s seat, a 47-year-old property dealer in the passenger’s seat, and a 40-year-old woman in the back seat. Passing motorists alerted the police after noticing the parked vehicle in the service lane of the flyover. Subsequent investigations revealed the identities of the victims.
The probe soon led authorities to Kamruddin, a self-proclaimed ‘Baba’ and resident of Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested on Wednesday. Kamruddin runs a so-called ‘tantric centre’ in Loni, Ghaziabad, and allegedly lured the victims with promises of ‘surprise money’ or ‘Dhanvarsha’ through tantric rituals.
According to police, Kamruddin, a habitual offender with a criminal record, would mentally manipulate his victims and administer poison-laced laddoos to kill them and seize their cash and valuables. Deputy Police Commissioner Sachin Sharma stated that the murders were part of a well-planned conspiracy for financial gain.
The deaths initially appeared to be suicides, as there were no visible injuries or signs of struggle. However, traces of poison found in a plastic bottle and glasses inside the car prompted further investigation. Police discovered that the victims had visited Kamruddin’s Loni centre the day before their deaths and were in constant contact with him. He was allegedly present in the car when it was returning from Loni but abandoned the vehicle near the Peeragarhi flyover.
During the inspection of the car, police recovered liquor and cold drink bottles, empty glasses, mobile phones, cash, helmets, jackets, Aadhaar cards, personal belongings, and other documents.
It was revealed during questioning that the deceased woman, Laxmi, was introduced to Kamruddin by a man named Salim from Janagirpuri. Laxmi had, in turn, introduced the other two victims, Naresh and Randhir, to the godman.
The case is currently under further investigation.
