Man found murdered in UP village days after abduction; his friend held

A 22-year-old man, son of a jeweller who was abducted more than a week ago, was found murdered in this district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, police said.

The victim, Ashutosh Verma, was abducted on February 18, they said.

The body of Ashutosh, son of jeweller Jagpal Verma, was found in the fields in Biralsi village under Charthawal police station limits.

Police have arrested a friend of the victim and are questioning him to know about others involved in the case.

According to Station House Officer (SHO) Gyaneshvar Bodh, investigation revealed that some youths had abducted Ashutosh Verma and murdered him using sharp-edged weapons.

His body was dumped in the fields.

Someone had dropped a letter at the jeweller's house, demanding Rs 2 lakh as ransom, the victim's family members claimed.

Police suspect that a friend of Ashustosh Verma might have role in the abduction-cum-killing.

The missing report of Verma was lodged on February 20.