Jaipur: The body of a 40-year-old building materials trader who went missing two days ago was found inside a car Monday morning in the city’s Shivdaspura area, with police alleging that a dispute over an unpaid debt of Rs 1 crore had led to the murder.Police arrested a person who allegedly borrowed the money from the deceased and later sought to get rid of the debt by eliminating his creditor.According to police, the deceased, Hari Shankar Sharma, went missing Saturday after leaving home, with family members subsequently filing a missing person complaint at Shivdaspura police station.A senior police officer said Sharma’s body was eventually recovered from a car parked near the Bombay Hospital.The victim’s younger brother, Prahlad Sharma, reportedly told police that Hari Shankar had lent Rs 1 crore to the accused, Sitaram, as part of a business-related deal.“Instead of repaying the amount, the accused tried to pay off his debt through a separate land transaction, leading to tensions between the two for several months. Family members say Sitaram’s inability to repay the debt was the motive behind the murder,” an officer close to the investigation said.Shivdaspura SHO Rajendra Prasad said preliminary investigations indicated the two men were together Saturday evening when an argument broke out over the unpaid debt.“During the resulting scuffle, Hari Shankar bit Sitaram’s finger, who in turn kicked the former and caused him to fall and hit his head against a door frame. It appears the head injury proved to be the fatal blow,” SHO Prasad said.Police said Sitaram hid the body under a heap of fodder and spent the next two days trying to dispose of it.“Our investigation has revealed that the accused borrowed a car from an acquaintance, loaded the body into the vehicle Sunday night and drove around the city searching for a place to dump it. Failing to find a suitable spot, he took another shot at disposing of the body Monday,” Prasad said.Sitaram allegedly called a friend for assistance this time, who was shocked to discover the body inside the car and promptly informed police about it. “The accused managed to flee the spot but was detained and later arrested,” police said.Further investigations into the case remain ongoing.
