Shocking Rohini Murder: DJB Engineer Stabbed to Death in Flat; Accused Spent 10 Hours Trapped with Victim's Body Before Fleeing

 

New Delhi, November 7, 2025 

In a chilling revelation from the national capital's underbelly, Delhi Police have arrested a 44-year-old habitual offender for the brutal murder of a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) assistant engineer, whose body lay undiscovered for days in a locked Rohini flat. The accused, identified as Bunty Singh, allegedly spent over 10 harrowing hours trapped inside the crime scene with the victim's corpse before managing to escape, only to be nabbed four days later following a relentless manhunt involving over 200 officers.

Suresh Kumar Rathi, a 59-year-old assistant engineer with the DJB's Rohini division, was found dead on November 3 in a pool of blood near the bathroom doorway of his Sector-22 flat in Begumpur, Rohini. The gregarious father of three—whose daughter serves in the National Security Guard—was last seen alive on the evening of October 31, inviting a recent acquaintance for drinks at his residence. A single stab wound to his jugular vein, inflicted during a fierce struggle, proved fatal, with empty liquor bottles and a screwdriver scattered nearby suggesting a robbery gone awry.

According to police, Singh, a resident of Aman Vihar with a criminal history spanning six cases—including theft, gambling, and illegal arms possession—had befriended Rathi just days earlier at a local paan shop in Sector-31, Rohini. CCTV footage captured the duo meeting on October 25 and 27, with Singh's scooter registration plate later traced back to his neighborhood, providing the first major break in the case. On the fateful night of October 31, around 9 PM, Rathi entered the building with a man clad in a black hoodie—Singh in disguise—his face partially obscured to evade cameras.

What began as a casual drinking session escalated into violence near the bathroom, police reconstructions reveal. Singh, who had concealed a knife under his hoodie, claims he struck in self-defense after Rathi resisted his attempt to snatch gold jewelry and cash the engineer was known to flaunt. "The two struggled a lot… I think Bunty did not expect that Rathi would put up a fight. Maybe he had hoped that Rathi would get scared and hand him over the jewellery," Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) Vijay Singh told reporters. Overpowered, Rathi bled out on the floor, his valuables rifled through in the aftermath.

In a bizarre twist, the flat's central locking system trapped Singh inside with the body for more than 10 hours. "Bunty had to spend over 10 hours with Rathi's body... he struggled to find the key to make his escape. Around 8 am on November 1, Bunty managed to unlock the door and flee," an investigating officer disclosed. No footage showed an exit that night, heightening suspicions when Rathi's family—residing 300-400 meters away in Pocket 16—grew concerned.

Rathi's wife attempted calls the next day, but his phone went unanswered. On November 2, his son visited the flat, found it locked, and assumed his father had gone to work or stayed over. It was only on November 3, after Rathi failed to report to the DJB office, that the son used a spare key to enter—and stumbled upon the gruesome scene, prompting an immediate police call. "Our probe revealed that on October 31 evening, Rathi came to his apartment and took off with his keys. The family thought he was going to stay at the other apartment and sent food for him," a senior officer recounted.

The investigation swung into high gear, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajeev Ranjan deploying multiple teams for CCTV trawling, local inquiries, and technical surveillance. "We checked CCTV footage and found that the man had met the victim on October 25 and 27 as well. We got his scooter’s number from the CCTV footage and traced him to Aman Vihar. We pulled up dossiers of some criminals in the area and matched the same to the suspect," JCP Singh explained. Singh's post-escape movements painted a picture of desperation: Kashmere Gate on November 1, Aman Vihar and Vikaspuri on November 2, Peeragarhi banquet halls on November 3, Madhuban Chowk on November 4, and erratic roaming in Rohini, Wazirpur, and Vikaspuri on November 5—all while toggling his phone to dodge tracking.

The breakthrough came on November 6, when teams raided Singh's partner's residence in Vikaspuri, recovering the stolen gold chains, rings, cash, two mobile phones, and the incriminating scooter. During interrogation, Singh confessed to the robbery plot, admitting he had feigned friendship to case the flat. "He said he hit Rathi to defend himself and later robbed him," DCP Ranjan quoted the accused as saying.

Neighbors remembered Rathi as an affable man who loved chatting during evening walks and flaunting his gold. "He was outgoing and friendly; we'd see him at the paan shop every day," one resident told police. The case has sent ripples through Rohini's close-knit community, underscoring the perils of seemingly innocuous acquaintances.