Mohammad Arman kills a 70-year-old Siyaram Srivastava in UP
Bareilly: In a chilling murder case that has shocked Uttar Pradesh, Bareilly Police have cracked the killing of a 70-year-old businessman whose body was found with multiple stab wounds after he stepped out for his routine morning walk. The accused, 19-year-old Mohammad Arman, told investigators that he committed the murder after being instructed to “spill blood” by a “jinn”.
The victim, Siyaram Srivastava, left his home on the morning of July 24 for his daily walk near Dhauratanda Highway in Bareilly’s Bhojipura area. When he failed to return, his body was found by the roadside with multiple stab injuries. A post-mortem examination confirmed that he had suffered more than a dozen wounds inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon.
Under the supervision of Bareilly Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anurag Arya, investigators broadened the probe after finding no evidence connecting the neighbours to the murder. Teams from the Special Operations Group (SOG), local police and the Crime Branch examined CCTV footage and technical surveillance from the area. The investigation eventually led police to 19-year-old Mohammad Arman. According to investigators, his movements and vehicle matched crucial evidence gathered from the crime scene. Police subsequently took him into custody.
During interrogation, Arman told police that he had been hearing the voice of a “jinn” for a long time. According to investigators, he claimed that the entity repeatedly demanded blood and eventually instructed him to kill the first person he encountered.
Police said Arman first rammed his car into Srivastava before attacking him repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon, causing fatal injuries. Officers stressed that these details are based on the accused’s statements during interrogation and have not been treated as established facts. Investigators are corroborating his claims with physical, forensic and other evidence.
Police said that after the alleged murder, Arman visited a religious place and lit incense sticks, believing that he had fulfilled the “jinn’s” demand for blood. He later returned home and confessed the crime to his father, Imtiaz Ahmad. According to police, instead of informing the authorities, Imtiaz allegedly helped his son conceal the crime and destroy evidence.
Police have arrested Imtiaz Ahmad for allegedly assisting his son in covering up the murder. During the investigation, officers recovered the sharp weapon allegedly used in the attack, along with the car that investigators say was used to hit Srivastava before the fatal assault.
