A 44-year-old businessman from Bhowanipore, reported missing since Monday afternoon, has been found murdered. His body was discovered stuffed in a gunny bag and concealed behind a brick wall on the terrace of a house in Nimta, situated on the northern outskirts of Calcutta. According to police reports, Bhavya Lakhani was assaulted with a cricket bat and stumps inside the residence of his business partner, Anirban Gupta, aged 38. Authorities broke through the cemented wall to retrieve the bodybag containing Lakhani's remains.
Gupta has been apprehended and formally accused of murder and tampering with evidence by law enforcement officials. Police stated that Gupta had received Rs 50 lakh from Lakhani for the procurement of medicines but purportedly failed to deliver on the agreement. Furthermore, he allegedly refused to return the money to Lakhani. Lakhani, known for managing both a pharmaceutical business and a share trading firm, maintained offices on Ballygunge Circular Road and Ezra Street.
Lakhani leaves behind his elderly mother, wife, and two sons, who attend a prestigious school in south Calcutta. His social media profiles are adorned with vibrant images depicting his family's holiday adventures. Gupta reportedly admitted to the crime and guided the authorities to the concealed body.
Calcutta Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal declared on Wednesday that the murder seemed to have been meticulously planned. Lakhani, residing on Priyanath Mullick Road in Bhowanipore, departed from his workplace at 29A, Ballygunge Circular Road on Monday afternoon to rendezvous with Gupta at 34, Probodh Mitra Lane in Nimta, approximately 25km north of central Calcutta.
According to a report of Telegraph, The victim went to meet one of his business associates in Nimta on Monday afternoon. Anirban Gupta killed Bhavya Lakhani. One more person has been arrested. The investigation is in progress, Goyal added. The second accused, Suman Das, 38, of 20A, Gour Laha Street in Jorabagan, is suspected to have carried Lakhani’s phone to Sovabazar in north Calcutta, allegedly to divert police’s attention and to make it appear as if Lakhani himself had been there.
Lakhani's family members disclosed that upon his failure to return home late on Monday, they promptly notified the Ballygunge police station. Initially, a report of his disappearance was filed. In the course of the initial investigation, the police traced Lakhani's last cellphone tower location to Nimta. However, his phone was discovered at an address near Sovabazar.
Lakhani's body underwent a postmortem examination on Wednesday. The initial report indicated that Lakhani was killed on Monday night, with the likely cause of death being a fatal blow to his head.