Patna, Jan. 23: A missing link has stalled the probe into the murder of Dilip Kumar, an illegal boarder at the Saidpur Hostel Number-2.

Even 27 days after Dilip’s body was found dumped under a shelf in an abandoned mess of the hostel, police are yet to identify the third man present in the boarder’s room the night he was killed.

Ashok Yadav, a CRPF jawan who was also present in Dilip’s room till late night on December 26, was caught the next day, but the third person remains untraceable. He might be the killer or a witness to the murder, police sources said.

On the evening of December 26, hostel boarders had seen Dilip with Ashok, a jawan with the 131st battalion of the CRPF who had come to Patna for treatment on December 3.

“The jawan is in police custody. We cannot say for sure if Ashok, who was drinking in Dilip’s room, killed the latter. Investigation and forensic report suggest that the student was strangled to death sometime in the middle of the night. Ashok says he left Dilip’s room at 10.30pm and went straight to the battalion headquarters at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, located half-a-km from the Saidpur Hostel. He claims he did not know the third person present in the room,” a senior police officer said.

“The police have also arrested a 17-year-old girl and her grandfather, who were staying illegally in one of the hostel rooms. There is another theory that maybe Dilip was having an affair with this girl and had made enemies because of the relationship. The grandfather did not like Dilip and wanted to get rid of him. It is still not quite clear as to how did the CRPF jawan came to know Dilip,” the officer added.

Investigations have revealed that 25-year-old Dilip, who was pursuing MA in ancient history and archaeology, was an “alcoholic” and “outspoken” person.

Police sources told The Telegraph today that Dilip had a heated altercation with some people, possibly fellow boarders, the evening before he was murdered. “The boy was very outspoken and abusive. His drinking habit made him a nuisance for others. He would often get into arguments and fights with others. Though the investigation is on at present, the police suspect he might have been murdered by some people he had a fight with,” the police officer said.