Trader killed, but wrong body cremated

Three days after police claimed to have found the body of a city-based trader who was allegedly killed, it has turned out that the body was not his.

But the news didn't come as a solace to his family, as the real body of the trader, Suraj Shah, was also found.

Shah (47) was allegedly killed by his lawyer friend and two others on April 25 and the body was dumped in a canal in neighbouring Kalol town, police had said earlier.

A highly decomposed body was recovered from the canal at Waghodia near Vadodara on May 1. Thinking it to be Shah's body, it was sent for autopsy and later handed over to his family, which cremated it.

However, police had their doubts as to whether it was really Shah's body, said Vadodara police commissioner Manoj Shashidhar.

The search continued, and another body was found from the canal near Kalol, around 30 km from here.

"It has turned out that the body recovered from near Waghodia on May 1 was not Shah's. That body was so decomposed that even his family members could not confirm whether it was Shah's. But it was sent for post-mortem and then handed it over to the family which cremated it," Shashidhar told PTI.

"We, however, had doubts from the beginning whether it was Shah's body. Since the accused had allegedly dumped his body in a canal near Halol Road near Vadodara on the night of April 25, it should have flown downstream. But the first body was recovered upstream, at Waghodia," he said.

Along with Shah's 'real' body found near Kalol, police also recovered a nylon rope, allegedly used in tying a stone to his legs before it was dumped, Shashidhar said.

"A key of Shah's house was found in the pocket of the pants on the body. The clothes were identified by the family," the commissioner said.

The second body was sent to the Sir Sayajirao General Hospital in Vadodara for autopsy, and after conducting a DNA test, it will be handed over to Shah's family, he said.

DNA sample of the first body too had been collected, but it was yet to be examined, he said.

Identity of the first body is still a mystery.

"The reports of DNA test of the first body will be sent to Waghodia police for further investigation," the police commissioner said.

According to police, Shah's lawyer friend Vijay Rohit had paid Rs 50,000 to Shrikant Pawar and Mehul Mane to kill Shah.

Shah dealt in electronic goods. Rohit had borrowed Rs 4.60 lakh from him. However, he didn't want to return the money and allegedly hatched the conspiracy to kill Shah, police said.

The accused confessed to having strangulated Shah and thrown the body into the canal on Halol Road, police added.

The trio has been booked on the charges of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and destruction of evidence under the IPC, police said.

A local court has remanded the accused in police custody till May 7.