RAIPUR — In a chilling murder case that unfolded across state lines, the body of a disabled man was discovered encased in cement, stuffed inside a suitcase, and hidden within a steel trunk in a residential neighborhood of Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The investigation led police to Delhi airport on Tuesday, where a married couple suspected of orchestrating the murder was arrested while attempting to flee.
The accused have been identified as Raipur-based lawyer Ankit Upadhyay and his wife, whose names surfaced during a probe into the brutal killing of Kishore Paikra, a wheelchair-bound resident of Handipara’s HMT Chowk. According to Raipur SSP Lal Umed Singh, the motive appears to be a dispute over a land deal.
Initial investigations revealed that Paikra had sold a plot of land in Mohadi village for Rs 50 lakh with Ankit acting as the broker. However, Paikra allegedly received only Rs 30 lakh, prompting him to threaten legal action. That confrontation may have cost him his life.
Police say Ankit, whose father is a retired assistant sub-inspector in the Chhattisgarh police, orchestrated the murder to silence Paikra. CCTV footage from Raipur’s DD Nagar area captured a vehicle arriving in the locality on Monday. Two men are seen getting out and unloading a trunk containing the body. A woman, face covered, followed the vehicle on a two-wheeler—believed to be Ankit’s wife. Investigators suspect the car bore a fake number plate.
The disturbing discovery shocked residents and law enforcement alike. Inside the steel trunk was a suitcase, and within it, the body of Paikra—encased in cement to delay decomposition and obscure identification. Authorities believe the method was intended to buy the killers time to escape.
The couple was traced using surveillance footage and arrested at Delhi airport, allegedly while preparing to leave the country. They were flown back to Raipur late Tuesday night and are now in custody for further interrogation.
As the case unfolds, it underscores a disturbing nexus of greed, betrayal, and violence—with a lawyer and his spouse at the center of a cold-blooded plot to eliminate a man they once had financial dealings with.
