The family of Yuvraj Singh Manchanda, a 31-year-old real estate sales professional allegedly murdered by his former colleague and her partner in Gurugram on September 6, has raised serious concerns about the investigation conducted by the Gurugram Police. They claim that the police destroyed crucial evidence, cremated Manchanda as an unidentified individual, and failed to secure his personal belongings for examination. These accusations highlight significant frustrations regarding the handling of the case and the police’s response to the family’s requests for transparency and accountability.
Police say body was kept for 72 hours before cremation
Zonal Integrated Police Network (Zipnet) is an online platform used by police to share information on missing persons, unidentified and recovered bodies, stolen vehicles and other cases. LN Rao, former DCP of the Delhi Police Special Cell and currently a practising lawyer, added, “This is a major violation on the part of the Gurugram Police. They cannot discard a victim’s clothing after a post-mortem in any circumstances, regardless of whether the clothes are torn or decomposing. Discarding evidence within three days is a violation. failing to upload the information to Zipnet is another major lapse While not preserving ashes may be acceptable. We always broadcasted details of all UIDBs to all police stations in India to print media and Zipnet.
“Zipnet, which is an obsolete platform hardly used by three states, was checked on September 10 but no relevant information was found about any missing person till then. Gurugram police filled the UIDP performa for the body and uploaded all the information on the pan-India CCTNS network for identification on September 14, which is within mandatory time period,” he said. Gurugram police said Manchanda’s ashes are preserved as no other cremation had taken place over the spot where his body was cremated on September 14.
Police said clothes were also burned with the body since no foul play was suspected and the victim’s kada and watch could not be removed from body as it had badly decomposed and removal would have caused damage to it. Gurugram Police said an autopsy conducted by Dr Manav Chauhan of the forensic department from Haryana government’s health department found that the cause of death was “likely drowning”. A swab for DNA sampling was preserved, while viscera was not preserved as the autopsy did not reveal anything suspicious, Chauhan told HT. He said there was no bullet or pellet injury. Gurugram Police said a kada and a watch were recovered from the body and had been preserved for handing over to the family. Bagri said the body was recovered from the sewer in an “extremely decomposed condition” and was preserved for 72 hours after the autopsy, as required under protocol.
