Delhi Court Criticizes Gurugram Police Over Mishandled Cremation in Yuvraj Manchanda Murder Investigation

Indian Express•Published: Sep 27, 2026 09:11 AM IST

A Delhi court has sharply criticized the Gurugram Police for procedural failures in the murder investigation of real estate professional Yuvraj Singh Manchanda. The court questioned why the victim's body was cremated as an unidentified person along with his personal belongings, labeling the investigation a "complete hotch potch."

Procedural Lapses: The court highlighted that the police failed to follow mandatory inquest protocols, including notifying the executive magistrate and properly utilizing the ZIPNET database for identification.
Conflicting Reports: The judge noted significant discrepancies between two post-mortem reports, with one citing bullet injuries and the other attributing death to drowning, alongside a failure to preserve viscera.
Evidence Mishandling: The court expressed shock that personal items, such as a watch and kada, were found burnt at the cremation site, suggesting that vital forensic evidence was destroyed.

The Context & Background

This case stems from the alleged murder of Yuvraj Manchanda on September 6, whose body was dumped in a drain by two suspects. Despite an FIR being filed regarding his disappearance, the Gurugram Police cremated the body on September 14 before the family could identify him.

Why it matters:The court's intervention highlights critical failures in police investigative standards and the violation of a family's right to perform final rites. These lapses threaten the integrity of the judicial process and raise serious concerns about accountability in criminal investigations involving unidentified bodies.

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