Police Unravels Love Triangle Murder: Two Minors Found Dead
Raipur: In a significant breakthrough, Janjgir-Champa police have successfully cracked the case involving the tragic murder of two minor boys from Salkhan village, situated in the Shivrinarayan police station area of Janjgir-Champa district. The investigation led to the arrest of five individuals, including three minors, shedding light on a love triangle as the motive behind the gruesome incident.
Janjgir-Champa Superintendent of Police, Vijay Agrawal, disclosed that the victims had been missing since 10:10 pm on January 7. Their bodies were recovered from a canal on January 12, after one of the bodies surfaced, covered with mud and other materials, bringing the information to the attention of the police.
On the fateful night of January 7, 2024, the minor boys from Salkhan village mysteriously disappeared after 10 pm. The police were notified about the boys’ disappearance on January 9, 2024, prompting an immediate investigation under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code.
During the course of the investigation, it was revealed on January 12, 2024, that a body was found floating in the water within the canal at the Barbhantha culvert. There was an apparent attempt to conceal the body by submerging it underwater. The suspicion of murder arose, and a post-mortem report confirmed fatal head injuries leading to the victims’ deaths. Subsequently, the case was escalated, and further investigations were initiated under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code.
The investigation was a comprehensive effort involving the analysis of CCTV footage, expertise from technical specialists, and collaboration with informants. The suspects were identified as three minors who were students at the same school, along with the main accused duo, 21-year-old Hemant Prasad Banjare and 19-year-old Prabhat Bhaina. They were apprehended and placed in juvenile detention following a court order.
During questioning, one of the three minors disclosed that both he and the deceased harbored one-sided affection for a girl studying in their school. This romantic entanglement led to conflicts, culminating in a confrontation between the two groups. The suspects, accompanied by the deceased, were summoned to the canal at Barhbantha to resolve the ongoing issue. Unfortunately, the situation escalated into a quarrel, resulting in the tragic incident.
The accused employed iron rods and pipes to fatally strike the victims, after which they disposed of the bodies in the canal and concealed them with mud. The deceased’s motorcycle was discarded about two kilometers away from the crime scene in a pond near Mudapar Road. The investigation also led to the recovery of the murder weapons, clothes worn during the crime, hidden rice straw, and various other items used during the incident.
The case is currently under further investigation, with charges filed under Sections 363, 302, 201, 120B, 147, 149, and 325 of the Indian Penal Code. Legal proceedings are underway against the accused and the involved juveniles. The age of the two minor boys was approximately 16 and 17, while the three minor accused were between the ages of 16 and 18.
