Family Tries To Covertly Cremate Man Killed By Younger Brother Claiming He Fell From Bed

A 19-year-old man who allegedly killed his elder brother in a scuffle has been arrested after the family tried to cremate the victim's body without informing the police, officials said.

The teen suspect, Prashant Chand, was arrested Thursday for allegedly murdering his 22-year-old brother, Prem Shankar, in North-East Delhi, the capital city of India.

The family reportedly tried to cover up the murder and attempted to cremate the victim's body, claiming that he died after falling from the bed. However, the priest who conducted the rituals noticed a gunshot wound on the victim's body and alerted the police, Indian Express reported.

Shankar who got married a little over a month ago disliked his brother talking to his wife’s sister. Despite Shankar's warning, Chand continued talking to the girl and this led to an argument between the brothers on June 26, The Hindu reported.

During the argument, Shankar allegedly slapped Chand who in turn brought a gun and shot at his brother. Shankar died on the spot, the police said.

After the incident, the family reportedly decided not to inform the police and tried to cremate Shankar's body the very next day. “The family decided to make up a false story that he died after falling from his bed and received a serious head injury,” a senior police officer said.

On the day of the 'cremation,' after the priest alerted the police about his suspicions about the death, they arrived at the cremation ground and examined the victim's body.

"After inspection, we found an injury mark on the left side of his neck, and a deep injury mark on the right side of his neck,” the police officer added.

However, Ramesh Chand, the deceased's father, claimed that Shankar was found dead in his bedroom after falling from his bed. He reportedly told the police that Shankar's body was found oozing with blood when his mother saw him in the morning.

The body was sent for an autopsy and the police collected evidence from the family's residence.

Chand was taken into custody and police registered a case against him on charges of murder and destruction of evidence. He reportedly admitted to committing the crime.