Surat: The body of a 39-year-old man was found stuffed in a plastic bag in a canal along the road between Rahad and Vachhnad villages in the Vagra police station area of Bharuch district on Wednesday evening. His hands and legs were tied with ropes, prompting police to register a murder case.Police later booked Munatzir Patel, business partner of the deceased, in connection with the murder. The deceased was identified as Krunal Patel, a resident of Jyoti Nagar on Zadeshwar Road in Bharuch.According to the complaint, Krunal and Munatzir, a resident of Vorasamani village in Vagra, were friends and had been jointly running a spa for the past eight months. Over the last three to four months, disputes had reportedly arisen between them over the finances and profit sharing. The two also planned to sell the business.On Tuesday, the accused allegedly called Krunal on the pretext of collecting money from a party in connection with the sale of the spa and asked him to get into his car. Police suspect that he took Krunal to a deserted spot, strangled him with a nylon rope and, in an attempt to destroy evidence, tied his hands and legs, packed the body in a plastic bag and dumped it in the canal.When Krunal did not return home and his phone was found switched off, his family approached Bharuch C Division police and lodged a missing person’s complaint on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Vagra police recovered the body from the canal and cross-checked missing person’s complaints in the district. After the missing person’s report was traced, family members were called to identify the body.Police inspector H B Gohil said strangulation marks were found on the victim’s neck. “We suspect that the accused strangled him with a nylon rope. Teams have been formed to arrest Munatzir Patel. We are also investigating whether anyone else was involved in the crime,” he said.
