BHARUCH: The discovery of human body parts for three days in a row that had puzzled the Bharuch police was solved with the arrest of the victim Sachin Chauhan’s close friend Shailendra Chauhan, who had chopped him into nine pieces.
Investigators said the macabre member stemmed from the victim’s possession of Shailendra’s wife’s private photos and a loan that the latter had taken in his name.
To mislead police, Shailendra (32) dressed up as a woman, wore a nightgown, covered his face with a dupatta, and used elbow-length gloves to mislead the police. He spent three nights disposing of the body parts at different locations in the Bharuch’s Bholav GIDC area.
The murder came to light on March 29 when a stray dog dragged a human head out of a drain. Over the next three days, different body parts, including a torso and hands, were found at various locations, prompting a frantic investigation by the police.
The brutality of the crime and the deliberate method of disposal pointed to a well-planned act.
Forensic analysis of the remains revaled tattoos on the hand and evidence of dental treatment that led investigators to identify the victim as Sachin Chauhan. His family had already reported him missing, and suspicion quickly turned to his Shailendra, who had also disappeared.
Using human and technical intelligence, the police traced Shailendra’s movements across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, finally nabbing him in Bijnor. During interrogation, he confessed to the gruesome murder.
Sachin and Shailendra were close friends since their college days. They did BSc from Bijnor and even knew each other’s mobile passwords and debit card PINs.
“Sachin had transferred private photos of Shailendra’s wife from his mobile and had allegedly used them to extort money from him. Adding to the tension, Shailendra had taken a Rs 4 lakh loan in Sachin’s name, which became another reason for bitter conflict,” said CK Patel, deputy superintendent of police, Bharuch.
On March 24, Shailendra invited Sachin home for a party. After Sachin fell asleep, Shailendra tried to delete the compromising photos from his phone. When Sachin woke up and resisted, the argument broke out, ending with Shailendra slitting his throat with a kitchen knife.
In a desperate attempt to erase all traces of the crime, he purchased a saw, plastic bags, and a woman’s outfit. Over the next three nights, he cut the body into nine pieces and, dressed in a gown, used Sachin’s scooter to discreetly dispose of the remains at different locations.
To mislead the police, Shailendra used Sachin’s phone to send messages to his family, pretending to be in Bengaluru. He withdrew money from Sachin’s bank account and left his ATM card on a train to create a false trail. While the murder has been officially linked to blackmail and financial disputes, investigators are also probing whether an affair between Sachin and Shailendra’s wife played a role.
Meanwhile, police are still searching for Sachin’s missing legs.
