On the evening of February 28, 2024, 19-year-old Chandan Kumar stepped out of his home at Sasamusa village in Bihar’s Gopalganj district after being called by three acquaintances to attend a tilak ceremony. That was the last time his family saw him.
According to a complaint later filed by his mother, Savita Devi, Chandan had left home around 6 pm with three local youths, a 26-year-old, Mannu Kumar (20) and Deepak Kumar (21), all residents of the same area. When he did not return by 8 pm, the family tried calling his mobile phone, but it was switched off.
Savita said in her complaint that when she contacted the three youths that night, they told her they had “returned home about 30 minutes earlier and that Chandan had also left for his house”.
“Since then, we searched for him extensively, but he could not be found. I suspect that these boys have done something wrong to my son,” she wrote in her application to the then Station House Officer (SHO) of Kuchaikote police station.
Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered on March 1, 2024, under section 365 of the IPC, initiating a missing person’s investigation. Despite initial inquiries, the case did not reach a conclusion for a prolonged period, and Chandan remained untraced.
Superintendent of Police Vinay Tiwari, who recently took charge in Gopalganj, said that although the case was registered in February 2024, “the investigation did not progress properly for nearly two years”. He added that early suspicion had veered towards a possible romantic angle, but no concrete findings emerged.
The case was revisited after the victim’s family raised concerns over the lack of progress. “After March 15, we became active again and conducted a fresh review of the circumstances of February 28, 2024,” Tiwari said. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the leadership of inspectors Harendra (DIU in-charge), Om Prakash, and Rajesh Choudhary of Kuchaykot police station.
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During the renewed probe, police ruled out the earlier theory of a romantic relationship. Instead, attention returned to the three youths last seen with Chandan. Technical analysis of their activities between February and April 2024 allegedly revealed suspicious behaviour. “After the incident, they distanced themselves from their families and did not disclose anything about the occurrence,” the SP said.
Based on the evidence gathered, police arrested Deepak Kumar and Mannu Kumar. During interrogation, both allegedly confessed to the crime. “It became clear that Chandan was not missing, but had been murdered on the night of February 28, 2024, itself, and his body disposed of,” Tiwari said.
According to police, the motive emerged as a dispute among the trio, who were known to be friends and reportedly engaged in rag-picking. “All three were involved in substance abuse, and there were disputes over designated areas for collecting scrap. Chandan had encroached into the areas of Deepak and Mannu, which led to tensions,” SP Tiwari said.
The officer said Mannu, with Deepak’s assistance, allegedly planned the killing. Chandan was allegedly strangled to death that night. “After the murder, Mannu dragged the body for about 100 metres and dumped it in a roadside drain. They then returned home,” Tiwari said.
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In a bid to avoid suspicion, the accused purportedly participated in search efforts alongside the victim’s family. “They misled both the family and the police at that time,” he added.
Following their confessions, police teams reached the indicated location and recovered skeletal remains from the drain, police said, adding, “The remains have been sent for forensic examination, and further scientific investigation is underway.”
The SP also acknowledged lapses in the initial investigation. “Negligence on the part of the then officer-in-charge of Kuchaikote police station has come to light, and we are proposing departmental action,” he said.
Police said they are in the process of compiling evidence to file a chargesheet. To encourage investigation into long-pending cases, SP Tiwari also announced a reward of Rs 5,000 each for the three teams involved in cracking the case.
