Police in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar district arrested five people and detained two minors over the killing of a young man whose body was found on a lonely forest track in the Baya police station area.[1][2][3][4] One adult accused was identified as 47-year-old Amarjeet Singh Soni of Durg.[4] One adult accused was identified as 19-year-old Rahul Das Manikpuri of Durg.[4] One adult accused was identified as 18-year-old Raj Yadav alias Sai of Durg.[4] One adult accused was identified as 24-year-old Syed Altaf Ali alias Farzan of Mova, Pandri, Raipur.[4] One adult accused was identified as 22-year-old Mohammad Anas Asrafi of Mova, Pandri, Raipur.[4]
A young man’s body was found on 31 October 2026 on the lonely forest stretch between Murumdih and Raytum villages in the Baya police station area, with knife wounds and, at first, no identification.[5][3][4]
Forensic examination and digital leads identified the dead man as Karan Dongre.[6] The Haribhoomi account says the dead man and the arrested men were all involved in the illegal ganja trade, and that Soni’s son Shiva was killed in October 2026.[6][4] The man who allegedly ordered the killing was named as Amarjeet Singh Soni, who police say conspired to kill Karan Dongre to avenge the October killing of his son Shiva.[3][4] Police said the accused lured the man from the Sambalpur area with a promise of work, drove him to the forest in two cars and stabbed him, then stripped the body to hide his identity.[6][3] Both vehicles reached the Patewa area together before the accused took the youth into the deserted forest of the Baya outpost area and stabbed him to death.[3]
Haribhoomi reports that police checked footage from more than 1,000 CCTV cameras and used AI technology in the investigation.[6][4] The police network behind the killing stretched from Raipur to Durg, and Haribhoomi says accused men from those districts were arrested with Durg police’s help.[6] Police seized the knife used in the killing, a Kia car, a WagonR car and a scooter.[6][4] The seized WagonR bore registration CG 07 CE 3638 and the seized KIA bore registration CG 04 QB 5060.[4] The five adults were being produced in court and the two minors before the Juvenile Justice Board on 9 November 2026.[6]
The case was registered at Baya police outpost as crime number 101/2026.[2] The FIR was filed under sections 103(1), 238(a), 61(2) and 249 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India’s criminal code, and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.[2] Superintendent of police Gaurav Rai directed the investigation, additional superintendent Khoman Sinha supervised it and a special team was formed under deputy superintendent Kaushal Kishore Vasanik of the Kasdol camp.[2] Police identified the dead man as Karan Dongre, known as KP, aged 20, from digital traces and coordination between district police forces.[2] Police said the first accused was traced through the cars’ movements and, after questioning him, found the others hiding in an area of Durg city, where a Balodabazar-Bhatapara police team camped and, with Durg district police, surrounded and arrested them.[2] A police release said those arrested already faced serious cases including murder and narcotics trafficking.[2]
