A Midnight Blast, a Burnt Body, and a Lie: How Fire Exposed Shocking Murder of UPSC Aspirant in Delhi

Delhi Police has arrested Amrita Chauhan, her ex-boyfriend Sumit Kashyap and friend Sandeep Kumar for the murder of UPSC aspirant Ram Kesh Meena. The trio strangled Meena and used an LPG cylinder to stage a blast and fire to hide the crime.

What first looked like an accidental blast in a Delhi flat has now been uncovered as a planned murder. On the night of 5-6 October, a fire broke out in a fourth-floor flat at E-60, Gandhi Vihar, Timarpur. Fire crews put out the blaze and a deeply burned body was found inside. The man was later identified as 32-year-old UPSC aspirant Ram Kesh (also reported as Ramkesh) Meena. At first, the scene suggested an electrical fault or air-conditioner blast. But police say evidence pointed to something far darker.

How police pieced the case together

Timarpur police collected CCTV footage from the building and nearby areas. The video showed two masked men entering the building, followed by a woman. Minutes after two people left, an explosion and a fire followed. Investigators also analysed mobile phone location data. Call detail records placed a woman, later named as 21-year-old Amrita Chauhan, near E-Block Gandhi Vihar at the time of the incident. These technical leads, along with forensic analysis of the burn patterns and the scene, raised the suspicion that the blaze was staged to hide a killing.

The accused and the motive

Police arrested three people from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh:

• Amrita Chauhan (21): A BSc forensic science student who had been living with Meena since May.
• Sumit Kashyap (27): Amrita's former boyfriend and an LPG distributor.
• Sandeep Kumar (29): A friend who helped carry out the plan.

According to police, Amrita told officers that Meena had secretly recorded private videos of her. She claimed she repeatedly asked him to delete the material. When he refused, she confided in her ex-boyfriend Sumit. The three allegedly decided to 'teach him a lesson' and plotted the killing.

The method of murder and cover-up

Delhi Police say the trio entered the flat late at night. During interrogation and on the basis of Amrita's confession, police say the accused strangled and assaulted Meena. They then poured ghee, oil and alcohol over his body. Sumit, who works with LPG cylinders, allegedly opened the gas cylinder valve to cause an explosion and make the death appear accidental. The accused are also said to have locked the flat from inside through a small hole in the iron gate to delay discovery. Before fleeing, they stole Meena's hard disk, laptops and other items, police said, likely to remove incriminating material.

Items recovered from the suspects include a hard disk, a trolley bag, Meena's shirt and two mobile phones belonging to the accused. These were seized during raids in Moradabad and during the arrests.

Arrests and police action

Amrita was arrested on October 18 after raids. Sumit was taken into custody on October 21 and Sandeep on October 23. All three have made statements to police and have been charged under sections that cover murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Inspector Pankaj Tomar of Timarpur police led the probe. Police officials said the case was cracked using a mix of CCTV footage, call-data records, local intelligence and forensic findings.

The victim: A life cut short

Ram Kesh Meena was 32 and preparing for the UPSC exams. He lived in the same building where his body was found. Friends and neighbours say he had been staying in the flat for some time. Family and community members are shocked and anguished at the manner of his death. The case has drawn attention because it mixes a personal betrayal with violent planning and an attempt to hide the crime through an arson scene.

Forensics knowledge used, police say

Police have said that Amrita's study of forensic science and her interest in crime web series played a role in planning the deception. Investigators allege that she used knowledge from her course and from what she had seen on screen to try to fake an accidental fire. The police statement stresses that despite such plans, forensic and technical methods helped them find the truth.

All three accused are in police custody. The investigation is ongoing. Police will continue to examine digital evidence, forensics and witness statements. The court will decide on charges and remand as the legal process moves forward. If convicted, the accused could face long prison terms under India’s criminal laws for murder and related offences.

(With ANI inputs)