Baghpat (UP), March 24 A 40-year-old disabled man was allegedly beaten to death, and his body was buried in a field here, police said on Tuesday, adding that four people have been arrested in the case.
The deceased has been identified as Sanjay alias Sanju, a resident of Daha village, who worked as a domestic helper for a resident, Sachin.
According to police, the victim's brother, Arvind alias Billu Sharma, had lodged a complaint on Monday stating that Sanjay, who was physically disabled in one leg since birth, had been missing for about a month and expressed suspicion against Sachin and his associates.
During the investigation, police detained Sachin for questioning, during which he confessed to assaulting Sanjay along with his associates Akash, Ajit and Shubham. He told police that his buffalo had gone missing on March 4 and, although it was later found in a field, he suspected Sanjay of stealing it.
Police said the accused severely assaulted Sanjay, leaving him critically injured. They later drowned him in a tubewell water tank, leading to his death.
They then buried the body in a sugarcane field near Nirpura village under the Doghat police station area to conceal the crime.
Station House Officer Keval Singh said the four accused have been arrested, and the body was recovered with their identification and sent for post-mortem examination.
Superintendent of Police Suraj Kumar Rai said legal proceedings are underway, and further investigation into the case is in progress.