A shoe store owner from Kasba Industrial Estate, who was missing since January 31, was found dead on Thursday, police said.

Sanu Ram was murdered and his body was dumped in a deserted area in the interiors of Baruipur in South 24-Parganas, the police said.

Three men have been arrested and a minor has been detained in connection with the case, said a police officer.

On the night of January 31, Ram, a resident of Anandapur, closed his shop for the night and called his wife to tell her that he would be home soon. Ram never reached home, the police said.

During the probe, the police found four suspicious bank transactions amounting to ₹1 lakh from Ram’s bank account. The cops tracked down the person to whose account the money was transferred.

Initially, as the family reported his disappearance, Anandapur police station had started a missing diary. Later it was found that Ram was kidnapped and murdered.

Police said it was found that the victim had stepped out of his shop with an acquaintance named Anup Mandal. Mandal too was missing since the victim’s disappearance.

“During the investigation, it was found that ₹1 lakh was transferred from Ram’s account to Amit Naskar’s account in Sonarpur. Naskar was detained. He confessed that Anup Mandal and the minor had transferred the money to his account using a QR code,” said deputy commissioner of police (east) Arish Bilal.

Mandal was arrested. During questioning, he confessed to murdering Ram and dumping his body in a canal in Baruipur, the police said.

Based on the statements of the accused, the police recovered the body.

Ram’s body was found with his legs tied with a nylon rope. The police said he was strangulated inside a car with the help of a seatbelt.

Ram’s brother said he used to look after their family’s shoe business and had no enemies.

Sources in the family said Ram got married seven months ago and had purchased a flat recently.

“He had got around ₹20 lakh and had purchased a flat. Maybe that caught the attention of the assailants,” said a relative.

The police identified the accused persons as Anup Mondal, 32, Khokan Baidya, 36 and ⁠Pradip Nayaban, 32. The other accused is a minor so his name is not being disclosed.

The police said one more person whose involvement has been established is at large.