45-year-old murdered during failed robbery attempt: Cops

Indore: The murder of a 45-year-old man on MR-4 Road had occurred during a failed robbery attempt in which the victim was stabbed repeatedly after resisting the accused, the police said. The attackers allegedly targeted him with the intention of looting cash and valuables, and when he fought back, they inflicted multiple knife wounds, leaving him dead at the spot.The incident came to light on Feb 12, when Bhagirathpura police outpost received information about a blood-soaked body lying along MR-4 Road under Banganga police station limits.A police team rushed to the scene and found deep cut injuries on the neck and several stab wounds across the body. The victim was later identified as Khojirram Narange, currently residing in a rented house near Laxmibai railway station in Indore and originally from Devarghata village in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh.Family members informed police that he worked at Yug Color Lab in the Polo Ground area. Based on a complaint by the family, Banganga police registered a case under Section 103(1) of the BNS.DCP Rajesh Vyas said that a special investigation team was formed. Investigators scanned footage from over 150 CCTV cameras around the crime scene, questioned local residents, shopkeepers and known offenders, and analysed technical evidence.Based on collected evidence and CCTV inputs, police identified the accused as Aryan alias Laddu Verma, a resident of Redwal Colony in Banganga, and Bharat Verma of Tal Wali Gali, Bhagirathpura. After being taken into custody, the duo allegedly confessed to the crime during sustained interrogation.Police recovered the victim's looted wallet, cash and mobile phone from their possession, along with the motorcycle used in the crime, the knife, and the clothes worn at the time of the murder.During questioning, the accused told police that they stopped the victim on the road, threatened and assaulted him in an attempt to rob him. When he resisted, they attacked him with knives, causing his death on the spot. Fearing that the mobile phone could be traced, they removed and destroyed the SIM card and damaged the handset before discarding it.