JAIPUR — The Rajasthan capital's police force has released a detailed timeline of the movements of a man currently in custody and accused of murdering four people, painting a picture of someone who blended into the daily rhythm of the city even as a suspected serial killer among them.
According to senior police officials, the accused — whose identity has been withheld pending formal charges — was seen moving about Jaipur's crowded streets in the days leading up to and following the discovered bodies. Surveillance footage and witness accounts placed him at several prominent temples across the city, where he offered prayers and mingled with devotees, drawing no suspicion from those around him.
Perhaps most strikingly, investigators said the accused made routine stops at a well-known chai stall in a busy market area — a common sight in any Indian city, but one that now stands as a crucial link in the investigation. CCTV footage captured him sitting casually, sipping tea, as if unaware of any wrongdoing. That ordinary image has since become a key piece of evidence in reconstructing his travel route and understanding his daily habits.
Police say the four killings came to light when families reported their missing relatives, prompting officers to launch a joint probe. Body discovery sites were spread across different parts of the city and its outskirts, and it took weeks of cross-referencing landline and mobile tower data, social media activity, and video footage from hundreds of cameras before investigators began narrowing down the suspect's path.
On Friday, a press briefing by additional commissioner of police Rajendra Prasad Sharma outlined how the accused was eventually tracked through a combination of mobile phone triangulation and identification from residential areas where he briefly stayed. Local residents, some of whom recognised him from the tea stall or temple, came forward after police circulated his photograph.
The accused is now in judicial custody, and police have launched a search for possible accomplices and any weapons or clothing used in the crimes. Forensic teams continue to examine multiple locations tied to his movements.
