Several months after expressing a desire to purchase a property valued at approximately Rs 60 lakh, a 45-year-old assistant nursing superintendent at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly kidnapped for ransom and subsequently murdered when the ransom was not fulfilled. A companion of the victim also lost his life, and their remains were later discovered in the Ghaghra River in the neighboring district of Sitapur, according to police reports.
On Friday, authorities in Lucknow apprehended five individuals believed to be involved in this tragic incident. Efforts are ongoing to locate the victims’ bodies.
The victims have been identified as Pawan Kumar Garg, a resident of Lucknow originally from Karauli, Rajasthan, and his friend, 26-year-old Sachin Vishwakarma. The arrested suspects, who all reside in Lucknow, are Nitin Mishra (38), Avnish Kumar Maurya (38), Prakash Singh (24), Suraj Singh (24), and Mohit Singh (26). They have been described as engaging in various odd jobs for income. Nitin and Suraj have one prior criminal case each, while Prakash Singh has two cases against him, according to police sources.
Amit Kumar Anand, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Lucknow, reported that the suspects have admitted their involvement in the crime.
The investigation began on September 29 when Pawan’s nephew, Sanjay Garg, reported him missing, stating that Pawan had left home in his car around 8 PM on September 27 without notifying anyone and had not returned.
The following day, police located Pawan’s vehicle in Sitapur district. Upon reviewing CCTV footage and toll plaza records, investigators identified Pawan’s car alongside another vehicle, leading to the identification of its occupants, as stated by Shivanand Mishra, the Station House Officer at Madiyaon police station. It was revealed that all five suspects were in that vehicle.
Consequently, the police initiated a kidnapping investigation.
On October 2, all five suspects were apprehended at Bhithauli crossing, police confirmed.
During the inquiry, authorities learned that Pawan had a prior acquaintance with Nitin, who was involved in the real estate sector. Pawan had allegedly informed Nitin about his intention to buy land and mentioned that he had approximately Rs 60 lakh. This revelation allegedly led the suspects to formulate an abduction plan to extort money from Pawan.
According to police statements, on September 27, Nitin contacted Pawan, inviting him to a location in the Madiyaon area. Upon Pawan’s arrival with Vishwakarma, they were directed to New Fauji Dhaba in the Itaunja region of Lucknow. The group, including Nitin and his accomplices, consumed alcohol and had dinner, after which a dispute reportedly arose between Pawan and Nitin.
The suspects then allegedly forced Pawan and Vishwakarma into a vehicle, taking them to an under-construction property owned by Nitin in Itaunja, where they were held in separate rooms. The accused reportedly demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from Pawan. Meanwhile, Nitin is said to have taken Pawan’s car and parked it at a dhaba in Sitapur before returning.
According to police reports, the suspects physically assaulted both men again while reiterating their ransom demand. Pawan allegedly denied having any money.
On September 28, realizing that Pawan would not comply with the ransom demand and fearing that releasing him and his friend could lead to police involvement, the suspects reportedly strangled both men with ropes. That evening, they allegedly transported the bodies to Chalhari Ghat and dumped them into the river from a bridge.
Authorities have recovered Pawan’s chain, ring, driving license, a photocopy of his Aadhaar card, and a bank statement. Additionally, two vehicles believed to have been used in the crime have been seized.
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