Bullet-ridden body of Lucknow businessman found, driver detained

A 40-year-old businessman, Dhirendra Pratap Singh, was discovered with bullet wounds in the Dubbaga area of Lucknow on Monday. The police have apprehended the driver, Ravi Tiwari, in connection with the homicide and confiscated his SUV, which reportedly bears bloodstains. Singh, originally from Unnao, was involved in transport and real estate businesses in Lucknow for several years.

His wife lodged a police complaint on Sunday, informing that her husband had gone missing and expressing suspicion that he was murdered. She alleged the driver, Tiwari, may have been involved in the disappearance. Singh reportedly left home on Saturday; when his wife called the driver, he claimed Singh was with friends. The driver subsequently ceased answering her calls, heightening her suspicion.

The driver and his associate were detained for questioning, and the SUV was seized. Police suspect Singh might have been shot inside the vehicle before his body was disposed of near a canal in the Dubbaga area. Six police teams have been assembled for the investigation, focusing on surveillance inputs, CCTV footage, and other technical evidence to establish the sequence of events and identify those involved.

It is reported that Tiwari claimed Singh had been taken shopping and to various locations in Lucknow on Saturday evening; however, the CCTV footage from the locations mentioned did not corroborate Tiwari's account. Further investigation is underway to determine if the land dispute between Singh and another group in Unnao had any connection with the murder. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and the report is awaited.