A 52-year-old bus driver who had allegedly murdered his niece and nephew to usurp their property has fallen into police's net while planning a cash heist along with another nephew of his.
The accused has been identified as Suresh Kumar Verma alias Doctor Verma (52), who was allegedly plotting a robbery with another nephew of his, Pradeep Kumar Verma alias Sonu (30). The duo was arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police on Wednesday. Suresh was said to be Pradeep's paternal uncle.
Pradeep was involved in a robbery from a cashier near Airport Road in 2012 and was arrested in the case before coming out on bail in June, 2014. Inspired by the recent ATM heist at Kamla Nagar, Pradeep began plotting a similar robbery in the Dwarka or Delhi Cantt area.
"A tip-off was received that Pradeep is planning another cash van robbery and he would come near Sector-1, Dwarka, on a stolen bike with his associate. A trap was laid and the duo was apprehended who were identified as Pradeep Verma and Suresh Kumar Verma," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ravindra Kumar Yadav.
One improvised .32 bore pistol was recovered along with with two cartridges while the motorcycle was found to be stolen from Janak Puri.
During Suresh's interrogation, it was revealed that last year, he had murdered his niece Gunjan (23) and her brother Rohit (21) to usurp the property of his brother Rajkumar.
"He was working as a bus driver and used to park the vehicle in the back lane of Kodi Colony on Captain Gaur Marg in south Delhi.
"In October, 2013, he brought Gunjan from Loni and took her to his parked bus where he strangulated her. He then disposed of her dead body in a sewerage hole in the jungle behind Kodi Colony," said Yadav.
Rohit was not aware about the murder of his sister as he thought she was at her in-laws' house.
After about a month, Suresh took Rohit to the same place, offered him some drink laced with sedatives and, as he became unconscious, strangulated him to death and dumped the body inside the same hole, he said.
He then took possession of the house belonging to his late brother.
Pradeep, who was in jail in connection with the robbery case, came out on bail and found out about the murders of Gunjan and Rohit and how Suresh had usurped the property.
Pradeep then threatened Suresh that he would inform police about the murders. Ultimately, the duo came to a compromise and decided that Pradeep would forge the documents of the house in his name and they shall share the proceeds after selling it.
Suresh has led police to the spot where he disposed of the bodies of his niece and nephew. It was found that the sewerage drain opens at Okhla Water Treatment Plant and enquiries from Sarita Vihar police station revealed that two bodies, of a boy and a girl, both unidentified, were recovered from the drain.
The accused duo was shown photographs of the bodies and they identified them as the deceased Gunjan and Rohit, police added.
