A 20-year-old LLB student, son of Harenti village gram pradhan Vivek Rathi, was allegedly murdered after he went to a birthday party with friends in Muzaffarnagar’s Bhopa area on Wednesday evening. Police said his body was later found partially trapped in a canal in a forested area on Friday.
The deceased, Rohan, a first-semester LLB student at Shri Ram College, had gone to Nanhera village in the Bhopa area around 6pm on Wednesday to attend a birthday party at a friend’s family home. Rohan’s father called him around 9pm, and Rohan told him he would return home the next morning.
Around 8am on Thursday, villagers spotted a body partially trapped in a canal in the forest area of Harenti village. Vivek Rathi, along with other villagers, reached the spot and identified the body as his son’s.
Police said Rohan had minor facial injuries. His friend told police he left around 11pm on his motorcycle, after which his phone was switched off. The motorcycle was not found near the body.
Superintendent of police (SP) City Amrit Jain, circle officer Sadar Sunil Kumar and a forensic team examined the scene. After villagers sought his visit, SSP Sanjay Verma inspected the spot and said three teams had been formed to identify those responsible.
The post-mortem indicated that Rohan died of asphyxia; injury marks were also found on his body. Police said his breathing may have been obstructed with clothes, hands or a pillow.
The body was brought back to the village around 4 pm, but the family initially refused to perform the last rites. The cremation was held around 6 pm after the SP City spoke to them.
SSP Sanjay Verma said police were searching for the accused and investigating the case from several angles. Several people have been questioned in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav reacted to the incident in a post on X, alleging that Rohan was beaten with sticks and killed. He urged authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and identify those responsible, adding that the Samajwadi Party stood with the bereaved family.
