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3 found dead in car, families allege foul play

All three were rushed to AIIMS, where they were declared dead on arrival.

Relatives console Anita, wife of Lakshman, one of the three found dead in RK Puram Relatives console Anita, wife of Lakshman, one of the three found dead in RK Puram

Three men, who had recently started an event-management company, were found dead in a car in South Delhi on Sunday night. Police said, prima facie, they died of suffocation after inhaling high amounts of carbon monoxide as a result of the air-conditioning being continuously on in the car. Police are also probing a suicide angle. Family members, however, alleged that the three were poisoned and pointed to vomit stains in the car.

“The bodies of Balvinder Singh (33), Lakshman Prakash (30) and Nishant Dutt (24) were found in a white Honda City around 10 pm in R K Puram, Sector 4. A nearby shopkeeper noticed the car and alerted Lakshman’s father and brother who own a shop a little away from where the car was parked. A PCR call was made around 10.30 pm. Police found the glasses of the car rolled up and the air-conditioner turned on. Balvinder was seated in the front, while Lakshman and Nishant were on the rear seat.

There were food items inside the car. All three were rushed to AIIMS, where they were declared dead on arrival. We are at the moment conducting a probe under Section 174 CrPC to see if it is a case of suicide.  We do not rule out the possibility of murder,” a senior police officer said.

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“The viscera samples have been preserved for testing. Toxicology tests will also be conducted. Investigation is on,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) B S Jaiswal said.

Lakshman’s brother Kanhiya Lal said, “Lakshman went out around 1 pm to pick up an advance from a party. He was carrying Rs 90,000 in an envelope to pay tent-suppliers and others. Nishant was carrying Rs 60,000. They left in Balvinder’s car. Kuldeep Negi, the RWA vice-president, saw the car parked on the road for a long time and alerted us.”

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“When I went there, the glasses were rolled down, which means there was air circulation. I saw all three foaming from the mouth. I gave them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and I smelt a foul odour — like that of phenyl. They had vomit stains on their clothes. The two envelopes and an ATM card were missing. But a laptop and Nishant’s mobile phone were in the car. The front seat was unoccupied and we feel a fourth person poisoned the three. In all probability, the fourth person was known to them as there were no signs of a struggle,” he said.

“I do not know why somebody would harbour any enmity towards them. Police are saying they died of suffocation. But the glasses of the car were slightly rolled down. So I do not believe what police and doctors are saying. My son’s body had blood coming out of the nose and on the neck; his palms and feet were all blue. It looks like he was poisoned,” Balvinder’s father Mahender Singh said.

First uploaded on: 23-07-2014 at 01:50 IST
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