UP: Man's throat slit, body dismembered over relationship with friend's sister; torso recovered from Ganga

A 22-year-old man was allegedly lured by his friends, murdered, and decapitated before his body was disposed of in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur and was recovered from Ganga.

The torso of the victim, identified as Rishikesh, was recovered from Ganga on Sunday. The police have arrested four people while another four are at large, according to a report by The Times of India.

The victim, a resident of Kanpur's Chakeri, was reported missing by his elder brother Ravi Kumar on Sunday. By then, his body had already been discovered in the Maharajpur area, stripped of its head and thrown along the riverbank.

According to police, the chain of events began on the evening of August 29, when Rishikesh was called out of his home by two of his neighbours and friends, identified as Mogli and Nikhil. They told his family he was being taken to visit a Ganesh Chaturthi pandal.

Several other youth were already waiting near the pandal. Together, the group forced Rishikesh onto a motorcycle and took him towards the Kakori forest, an isolated stretch on the outskirts of Kanpur, according to a report by NDTV.

According to the police, Rishikesh was tied up with a rope, his legs bound, and his throat slit with a knife in the Kakori forest.

The accused admitted to beheading the victim in order to prevent his body from being identified. A sack had been brought in advance to transport the remains. The group then procured an e-rickshaw, in which they carried the severed parts of the body to the Jajmau bridge and threw them into the River Ganga in different directions, NDTV reported.

As per the preliminary investigation, the main accused, identified as Pawan, was both a friend of the victim and the elder brother of the woman with whom Rishikesh had reportedly developed a relationship. Pawan was allegedly enraged on discovering the relationship.

DCP (East) Satyajit Gupta said the killing was linked to a personal rivalry. Rishikesh was allegedly in a relationship with the sister of the main accused, Pawan Nishad, who had repeatedly warned him to stay away. Ignoring the threats, Rishikesh continued the relationship, which investigators believe triggered the murder, according to a report by News18.

Further investigation is underway.