Brothers Ramesh Singh, 58, and Tara Chand, 65, were arrested for allegedly killing their cousin Brahmjeet in 1997; his body remains missing nearly 29 years later
Meerut: A photograph posted on a woman’s mobile phone status asking if anyone recognised a distant relative helped police crack a 29-year-old murder case in which the victim’s body was never recovered. The picture reached the family of Brahmjeet, missing since Oct 1997, who identified the man as his cousin Ramesh Singh, 58 — someone they believed had disappeared along with him. Police subsequently arrested Ramesh and his elder brother Tara Chand, 65, for allegedly killing Brahmjeet over a family dispute. A few days later, Brahmjeet contacted Ramesh seeking a compromise and travelled to Noida, where he stayed with him for several days in Sector 39. A missing-person report was subsequently registered at Sector 39 police station. A zero FIR was registered at Sector 39 police station in Noida on Aug 17, 2026, and transferred to Khurja Nagar police station on Aug 25.
Police said the two purportedly decided to leave for Mumbai for work and left a letter for their families saying they were going to an undisclosed place and should not be searched for. Police alleged that Ramesh instead took Brahmjeet to Khurja Junction railway station, where Tara Chand arrived from Delhi. The brothers allegedly took him to a secluded place, stabbed him in the neck with scissors, set his body on fire and buried it. A member of Brahmjeet’s family saw the photograph and approached police.
“The letter and the missing report helped the two brothers maintain the impression that Brahmjeet and Ramesh had left together,” circle officer Shobhit Kumar said.
Police said the dispute dated back to 1997, when Ramesh allegedly had a relationship with a cousin and was thrashed after the family found out. Brahmjeet, the woman’s brother and Ramesh’s cousin, allegedly further humiliated him by forcing him to drink urine when he asked for water. Ramesh later left for Noida and began working at a factory, while Tara Chand was already working as a labourer in Delhi.