Lakshya Chauhan,  the son of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, left home on Monday to attend a wedding with two of his friends in Haryana.

He did not return home the next day and his father, ACP Yashpal Singh, who is posted in Delhi, filed a missing complaint following which the police launched a search operation to find their colleague’s son.

The Delhi Police solved the mystery surrounding the 24-year-old man’s disappearance today. The cops have arrested a man after a week-long search.

The victim, who was a lawyer in Delhi’s Tis Hazari court, took money from one of the accused Vikas Bhardwaj, who was a clerk in the same court. Despite repeated reminders from Bhardwaj, the cop’s son did not return the money, which resulted in an argument between the two.

Vikas conspired to kill Lakshya with his friend Abhishek, an accomplice in the crime, the police said. On January 22, Lakshya was travelling to Bhiwani to attend a relative’s wedding and was joined by Vikas and Abhishek who went to attend the wedding in his car.

While returning late at night, the accused on the pretext of going to the washroom, got down of the car along with the victim near the Munak Canal in Panipat and pushed him

The police said the accused along with two accomplices killed the cop’s son over financial transactions and disposed of the body in the drain in Panipat in neighbouring Haryana almost 40 km from his last known location in Karnal bypass.

During the investigation, the police found the victim’s location in Haryana and a search is on to find his body.

The police have arrested Abhishek and a search is on to arrest the other accused.

The police had registered a case of kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person, wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, a kidnapped or abducted person, the officer said.

Lakshya Chauhan, the 24-year-old son of Delhi Police’s Assistant Commissioner Yashpal Singh, went to Haryana with two others to attend a wedding. By the end of the revelry, he was killed and his body was found in a canal. 

Mr Chauhan, a lawyer at Tis Hazari court, was allegedly pushed into a canal in Haryana by two of his friends, Vikas Bhardwaj and his accomplice Abhishek, over a simmering financial dispute.

The unfolding tragedy began on Monday when Mr Chauhan, accompanied by Bhardwaj and Abhishek, set out to attend a wedding in Sonepat. When he failed to return home the next day, ACP Yashpal Singh filed a missing complaint, triggering a search operation.

As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that the financial dispute between Mr Chauhan and Bhardwaj had escalated, leading to a sinister plan to eliminate him. Bhardwaj alleged that Mr Chauhan had taken a loan and consistently refused to repay, causing tension between the two.

Abhishek, detained after a week-long search, disclosed that Bhardwaj had invited him to the marriage function and shared his grievances about Mr Chauhan. The two hatched a plan to murder the top cop’s son during their return journey.

After leaving the wedding function post-midnight, the trio stopped near the Munak Canal to answer nature’s call. Exploiting the situation, Bhardwaj and Abhishek allegedly pushed Mr Chauhan into the canal and fled the scene in his car.

Upon their return to Delhi, Bhardwaj dropped Abhishek in Narela before disappearing. Abhishek was later apprehended, and based on his statement, a police case was registered. 

The police are intensifying efforts to trace Bhardwaj. 

Nitish Kumar will likely take oath as Bihar Chief Minister again  tomorrow, a record ninth time, supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – mirroring a familiar script from the 2020 elections. The political churn has triggered a flurry of activities, with large-scale transfers of officers adding to the suspense. Reports of an imminent change in government are rife, casting a shadow over the current ‘Mahagathbandhan’ ruling coalition.

The BJP has convened a meeting of its MPs and MLAs today, ostensibly to strategise for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. State unit chief Samrat Choudhary downplayed speculations of a renewed alliance with Nitish Kumar, but BJP leaders dropped significant hints about behind-the-scenes discussions.

According to sources, Nitish Kumar has convened a session of the legislative party at 10 am today. Sources have said that extensive relocations of district magistrates are underway in Bihar, coinciding with rumors of an imminent shift in the government.

Nitish Kumar’s solo appearance at the Republic Day tea at Raj Bhavan yesterday, without his deputy Tejashwi Yadav by his side, indicated a simmering discord between Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

READ | Nitish Kumar Headed To BJP Again? A Look At His Flip Flops Over The Years

Amid this political upheaval, Congress, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United)’s partner in the opposition INDIA bloc, has called a meeting in Purnea, while denying any connection to the evolving political scenario. The Congress plans to discuss preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ set to enter Bihar on Monday, with public meetings scheduled in Kishanganj, Purnea, and Katihar.

While the immediate focus appears to be on the Lok Sabha elections, sources indicate that the Bihar Assembly won’t be dissolved just yet. Both the BJP and JD(U) are engaging with their respective MPs and MLAs to solidify their strategies, setting the stage for a comprehensive realignment in Bihar’s political landscape.

However, the return of Nitish Kumar to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is not without its complexities. Sources have told NDTV that the intricate game plan includes the nomination of an Assembly Speaker and a cabinet reshuffle. 

READ | Amid Political Turmoil In Bihar, Dozens Of Senior Bureaucrats Transferred

Nitish Kumar’s former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi’s cryptic statement, “No door is closed in politics. The door can be opened if needed,” has added another layer of suspense to the development. 

Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his Hindustan Awam Morcha are also players in this political chessboard, courted by the BJP to secure a strategic alliance.

Nitish Kumar’s political journey, once synonymous with stability and development, has become a tale of flip-flops and realignments. From the acclaimed ‘Sushashan Babu’ to the enigmatic “Paltu Kumar,” his trajectory reflects the evolving dynamics of Bihar’s politics.