The complainant was a former schoolmate of Sachdeva and worked as a senior vice-president at a non-banking financial company that is a subsidiary of a public sector bank. The message was cited in an FIR filed by a senior executive who alleged that Vats and Sachdeva cheated him of more than Rs 1.2 crore. The alleged fraud began in September 2024, according to the FIR.
The FIR names both Vats and Sachdeva. The police are now examining whether the victim knew about this alleged activity before his death. The two accused, Vats and Sachdeva, were later arrested in Uttarakhand in connection with his alleged murder. The postmortem report has added another element to the investigation. The circumstances surrounding the injuries and disposal of the body are being examined as part of the investigation. The messages continued for around two days and helped delay the family’s understanding of what had happened. His phone was eventually switched off, after which the family approached the police.
A cheating case was registered at Parliament Street police station on August 16.
The police said he met former colleague Anya Vats in Gurugram. The Delhi Police said during questioning they admitted to meeting the victim and confessed to killing him. The police said the accused told them that his body had been disposed of in the Badshahpur area. A report by The Indian Express said the autopsy listed drowning as the cause of death, while the Delhi Police believe Manchanda was shot.
Family questions handling of body
The investigation has also found that messages were sent from Manchanda’s phone after his death. His family received messages suggesting that he was fine and would return later. The handling of the deceased body has also become part of the case. The family has also alleged that they were not given Manchanda’s personal belongings or the postmortem report at the time they expected them. The alleged financial fraud has added another line of inquiry to the murder case. The police are examining whether the victim knew about the alleged cheating racket and whether a confrontation over it took place before his death.
The Gurugram police found an unidentified body from a drain on September 10. Manchanda’s family filed a missing-person complaint with the Delhi Police on September 11.
One message reportedly said he was travelling to Bengaluru. The Gurugram police have denied delaying the process and said the Delhi Police should have registered the missing-person case earlier and alerted their counterparts. Reports have also said that the accused have given different versions of the monetary dispute with the deceased.
