Chandigarh: A 31-year-old taxi driver was found murdered with stab injuries on a roadside in Sector 38 on Saturday morning, prompting the Maloya police to launch an investigation into the murder.The deceased was identified as Vijay Kumar, a resident of Kharar in Mohali. He was married and had two children. Police said he used to drive a taxi on rent.According to police, Vijay had left Kharar around 10.30am on Friday with the taxi. Around 12.20am, the taxi was found parked in Sector 56, with no one around. Police took the vehicle into custody and started checking its movements after Vijay could not be traced.Early Saturday morning, the police control room received information about a body lying near a road in Sector 38. DSP South west division , Maloya SHO and crime branch team reached the spot and the area was cordoned off. A forensic team was also called to the scene and the spot was videographed.Police said stab-like injuries were found on Vijay’s body. Based on the preliminary findings, they are investigating the case from the murder angle. The exact cause of death and circumstances leading to it will be established after further investigation and the postmortem examination.The body has been kept at the mortuary of Govt Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, and Vijay’s family has been informed.The taxi was reportedly owned by Pradeep, a resident of Loha village. Vijay had taken the vehicle on rent and paid around Rs 700 a day, police said. Pradeep’s statement has also been recorded.A key aspect of the investigation is the gap between the location where the taxi was found and where Vijay’s body was recovered. Police are examining CCTV footage from Sector 38 and Sector 56, besides cameras along the route between Kharar and Chandigarh.Investigators are trying to establish whether anyone was accompanying Vijay when he left Kharar, who last met or contacted him, and who drove or left the taxi in Sector 56. Police are also questioning people who were in contact with Vijay and those associated with the taxi.The CCTV footage is expected to help investigators reconstruct Vijay’s movements and identify the people who may have been with him before his death.
