The murder of a 35-year-old cook inside a bus in Delhi’s Outer North district has come up after a missing person’s complaint and a post-mortem report showing brutal injuries. The victim, identified as Manoj, was reportedly killed after an altercation over spilled food, police said on Sunday.

While one suspect has been arrested, a search operation is underway to arrest two more accused.

On February 1 night, Manoj and his colleague, Dinesh, had finished catering to an event in Sultanpur Dabas. They boarded an RTV bus carrying leftover food with three people already seated, including the driver.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police(Outer North) Nidhin Valsan, “While they were about to reach Bawana Chowk, Manoj accidentally spilled some food on the bus seats and floor. This enraged the driver and his associates. They allowed Dinesh to deboard at Bawana Chowk but prevented Manoj from leaving.”

The situation quickly escalated as the assailants allegedly forced Manoj to clean the curry using his shirt before they began abusing and thrashing him. “Ashish, the driver, then took out a rod and shoved it into Manoj’s private parts. After some time, he fell unconscious. The accused then dumped his body near Bawana flyover before fleeing in the bus,” Valsan added.

On February 2, the next morning, police received a PCR call about an unidentified male body lying near the Bawana flyover. The officers who arrived at the scene found no visible external injuries. The body was taken to BSA Hospital in Rohini for preservation, and an initial inquiry was launched.

A day later, Manoj’s brother Jitendra identified him and reported that he had been missing since the morning of February 2. Initially, there were no suspicions of foul play. However, the post-mortem report on February 5 changed the course of the investigation. It showed multiple internal injuries, including severe trauma to the victim’s private parts.

Following the autopsy report, police registered a case under sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) at Bawana Police Station. Special teams were deployed to crack the case, and CCTV footage was analyzed to track down the suspects.

On Sunday, officials confirmed the arrest of one of the accused, 24-year-old Sushant Sharma from Karala. The hunt continues for the other two individuals involved in the crime.

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