NEW DELHI: What began as an ordinary Halloween night in Rohini turned into one of Delhi’s most chilling murders — a night of greed, betrayal, and blood.
Delhi Jal Board engineer Suresh Rathi (59), known for his love of gold, was found brutally killed in his apartment. His killer was not a stranger lurking in the dark but a man he had befriended — Bunty, a local acquaintance who had quietly studied both Rathi’s habits and his wealth.
Rathi was famous in his neighbourhood for his glittering presence — thick gold chains draped around his neck, heavy kadas encircling his wrists, and rings that covered nearly every finger. His fondness for gold wasn’t just an indulgence; it was his signature. But it also made him a target.
Investigators said Rathi had met Bunty at a paan shop near his home in Rohini’s Sector 24, where casual chats over time evolved into friendly visits. Rathi occasionally invited Bunty to his flat in Pocket 10 for a drink, unaware that each visit was being used to assess the value of his jewellery and the layout of his home.
The turning point came when Bunty learned that gold prices had sharply risen. What he had once admired now appeared to him as a fortune waiting to be seized. Police said greed quickly overpowered whatever friendship had existed between the two.
On October 31, the night of Halloween, Bunty arrived at Rathi’s apartment carrying a knife concealed in his bag. Moments later, security cameras recorded Rathi walking home with a food parcel — the last image of him alive.
Inside the flat, Bunty struck. He attacked Rathi in the bathroom, stabbing him in the neck before stripping him of his gold ornaments and fleeing. The entire assault took only minutes.
When Rathi failed to respond to calls, neighbours alerted his family. His daughter, an officer with the National Security Guard (NSG), rushed to the apartment to find him dead. The murder shocked the locality, sparking widespread discussions and fear across Rohini’s residential clusters.
A special investigation team led by Special Commissioner (Law and Order) Ravindra Singh Yadav was formed, comprising nine units working simultaneously on different leads.
“The nature of the entry showed there was no forced access — the suspect was clearly someone Rathi knew and trusted,” Yadav said.
The breakthrough came from CCTV footage outside the building. Cameras captured Rathi’s final entry, followed by a figure in a black hoodie leaving soon after — carrying a distinctive bag. Detectives began a deep technical surveillance operation, analysing mobile tower data and IPDRs (Internet Protocol Detail Records).
Bunty had switched off his phone immediately after fleeing, cutting off all digital traces. But investigators eventually noticed repeated late-night calls to a single number — belonging to his girlfriend. When the number reappeared on the grid, police tracked it to a house in Vikaspuri, West Delhi.
A swift raid followed. Bunty was found hiding there and arrested without resistance. Inside the house, police recovered Rathi’s stolen gold jewellery, cash, two mobile phones, and the Scooty used in the escape.
“The recovery confirmed his involvement. The motive was purely greed,” Yadav said.
Police also discovered that Bunty had a long criminal record, including prior cases of theft, assault, rioting, and gambling, dating back to 2004. He was produced in court and placed under police remand for further interrogation.
As neighbours lit candles outside Rathi’s apartment, Halloween’s symbolism — of masks, deception, and hidden darkness — felt grimly real. For one Delhi engineer, the night of masquerades became the night his trust cost him his life.
