Mumbai police suspects ‘interfaith relationship’ behind horrific murder of Bihar man

The Mumbai police investigating the murder of a 21-year-old man from Bihar suspects “an interfaith relationship” was the main motive behind his alleged murder.

Body of Raghunandan Paswan was found chopped into seven pieces and stuffed in a gunny bag in Gorai on Nov 10.

Crime Branch officials have detained a suspect and are looking for others in connection with the murder of Paswan a resident of Kanholi village in Bihar’s Darbhanga district, police said.

Police suspect Raghunandan’s friend could also be involved in the alleged crime and have detained him for questioning.

A senior Mumbai police officer confirmed on Nov 13 that an “interfaith relationship” was the main motive behind Raghunandan’s murder.

“The girl, 17, broke up with Paswan. After this, her brothers brought her to Mumbai. However, Paswan allegedly tried to continue the relationship with her. This angered the girl’s family,” the officer was quoted as saying.

“The murder took place in Bhayandar and the brothers of the girl brought the body to Gorai in an auto-rickshaw and dumped it there. The auto-rickshaw driver has been identified and detained too,” he added.

The police said Raghunandan’s father, Jitendra Paswan, identified his son from the tattoo on his right hand that read “RA”. The name of the girl, who Raghunandan was allegedly in a relationship with, starts with the letter A, sources were quoted as saying.

Paswan claimed the girl’s relatives could be behind Raghunandan’s murder, as his son was in contact with her and her family suspected them of having an interfaith affair.

“On Nov 11, Crime Branch officials contacted me. I identified my son’s body with the help of a tattoo and shared information with the police. The Crime Branch officials have nabbed one of the two brothers of the girl and are looking for others,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Paswan, his son worked with a private firm in Pune, and had come home for the Diwali holidays. Raghunandan, a school dropout, lived in Saraswadi in Pune while working at the company.

“While my son was working at a hospital in Bihar, he had helped a girl with some medicines at the hospital. Since then, the two knew each other and were in contact over the phone. Later, the girl’s family found out about this and her elder brother gave death threats to my son,” Paswan was quoted as saying.

He said he took the help of his village chief who spoke to the girl’s family and sorted out the matter.

“I made my son quit his hospital job, and for the past eight months he was employed with a Pune private firm,” he added.

On Oct 31, he suddenly left home saying he was going to Mumbai with his friends, following which his phone was switched off. When Raghunandan could not be contacted, Jitendra went to Pune and then came to Andheri, his last known location.

Jitendra then filed a missing person’s complaint at the Andheri Police Station.

“The girl’s brothers conspired with other people. They called my son to Pune, and then in the name of taking him for a tour of Mumbai, brought him to Andheri and then killed him after giving him some sedatives,” alleged Paswan.

Jitendra, a security guard at a Darbhanga hospital, has three young daughters and a wife. “My entire family and my villagers are shocked by the horrific crime,” he said.

Jitendra, who is in Mumbai, is waiting to get his son’s body so that he can perform the last rites.

Raghunandan’s body was found by residents of the Shephali village in Babarpada on Nov 10 after they detected the foul smell emanating from the bag, and informed the police. When the police opened the bag, they found his body chopped into pieces and kept inside four boxes.

Gorai police lodged a suo motu case of murder and disappearance of evidence against an unidentified person under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Mumbai police Crime Branch officials are investigating the case and have launched a manhunt to nab the accused, officials said.