Farmhouse owner in Gurgaon hacked to death, caretaker arrested

Gurgaon: A 36-year-old farmhouse owner in Sohna was allegedly hacked to death with a sickle by a caretaker who had worked for the family for nearly 20 years, left recently after an assault and returned months ago carrying a grudge with him.Rahul, a businessman from Ghata village, was found dead at the family’s farmhouse near Sohna-Ballabhgarh road, close to Harchandpur bus stand. Police said he was murdered on the night of April 5, but the crime surfaced the next day after cops received information about a body lying on the property premises.According to a complaint filed by Rahul’s brother, the family had employed Khemchand to look after the farmhouse, where a few rooms have been built.

Rahul, he said, had gone to the property on April 5 and was last seen there. When the family tried to contact Khemchand after calls to Rahul’s phone went unanswered, he disappeared and switched his cellphone off, deepening suspicion against him.When the family checked the farmhouse, they found Rahul lying dead in one of the rooms and alerted police.A police team reached the farmhouse and called in fingerprint experts.

During inspection, officials recovered the suspected murder weapon, a sickle.Police spokesperson Sandeep Turan said Khemchand, a 65-year-old resident of Heerapur Khurd in Bulandshahr, was tracked down by the crime branch and arrested in Delhi on Tuesday.During questioning, police learnt that Khemchand had worked at the farmhouse for almost two decades but left a year and a half ago after Rahul allegedly assaulted him.

“He started returning for work intermittently a few months ago. He nursed a resentment, and admitted he was angry because Rahul would thrash him at times,” an officer said.According to Turan, on the night of April 5, Khemchand attacked Rahul several times on the neck with a sickle, killing him on the spot. He then fled to Delhi.A murder case was registered against Khemchand at Sohna Sadar police station. “An investigation has been initiated,” an officer said.