The killers of a 26-year-old man, found dead in a hotel room on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, had executed a carefully planned murder, police said on Saturday.
The victim, identified as Rahul Lal of Collin Lane in Taltala, was discovered dead inside the storage space of a bed on Friday. His decomposed body was found after a guest who checked into the same room complained of a foul smell.
No arrests had been made till Saturday. Cops suspect the killers may have fled the state and could have links in Odisha.
Police said Rahul had checked into the hotel with two men around 5pm on October 22. Around 11pm, two of them checked out. “When hotel staff asked about the third person, they said he had already left,” an officer said.
According to the preliminary post-mortem report, Rahul died of strangulation. Investigators suspect that a bed sheet, which is missing from the room, was used to kill him. “The sheet possibly used to strangle him is missing; the killers likely took it away. His purse is also gone,” a senior officer said. “The Aadhaar card used for check-in was fake.”
Police believe the killers booked the room for a few hours and left after covering their tracks. CCTV footage is being scanned to identify them.
Officers said Rahul had a criminal record and was allegedly involved in theft cases.