‘I’m Fine’: Messages From Dead Delhi Man’s Phone Kept Family Waiting
NEW DELHI: For two days after Yuvraj Singh Manchanda disappeared, his family continued to receive messages from his phone assuring them that he was fine.
Police now say those messages were allegedly sent by the two people accused of killing him.
Manchanda, a 31-year-old Delhi resident who worked in the real estate sector, had travelled to Gurugram on September 6 after telling his family he was going to meet a former colleague, Anya Vats. He never returned home.
Vats and her partner, Sanyam Sachdeva, have since been arrested in connection with his alleged murder and placed in police custody. Investigators are examining the circumstances of his death, the disposal of his body and the messages sent from his phone after he disappeared.
Messages kept the family waiting
Manchanda had spent September 6 with his family in Lajpat Nagar, where they were preparing for his wedding scheduled for October, according to reports.
He later told his family that he had an urgent meeting in Gurugram. Around 7 p.m., he reportedly said his former colleague would arrive shortly and that he would call after the meeting.
That call never came.
Instead, his family received messages from his WhatsApp account. One message said he was fine and asked them not to worry. Other messages reportedly said he was busy with an important deal and wanted some peace. Another message allegedly told the family he was travelling to Bengaluru for work and included a photograph of a flight ticket.
The family became increasingly suspicious because Manchanda normally remained in contact and was not answering calls.
His sister eventually asked him to appear on a video call. No such call took place.
The family filed a missing-person complaint at Lajpat Nagar police station on September 11.
Police trace the case to Gurugram
Investigators reconstructed Manchanda’s movements using technical evidence, CCTV footage and local inquiries.
Police identified Vats, a former colleague, as a key suspect and subsequently traced her movements to Uttarakhand. Vats and Sachdeva were arrested there on September 16, according to police reports. A court later sent both to five days of police custody.
Police allege that Manchanda met the couple in Gurugram on September 6. Investigators say an argument took place and that the couple subsequently disposed of his body in a drain in the Badshahpur area.
The exact sequence of events remains under investigation.
There is also conflicting reporting about how long the body remained in the couple’s vehicle. Investigators are examining statements that initially placed the period at roughly seven hours, while later accounts suggested it may have been kept there for longer.
Cause of death remains a point of dispute
One of the most significant unresolved issues is how Manchanda died.
Earlier reports citing Delhi Police said he had been shot. However, a later report on the postmortem findings said the autopsy recorded asphyxia due to drowning and that investigators found no bullet injuries on the body.
That discrepancy has not been fully resolved publicly.
Investigators are continuing to examine forensic material and the circumstances in which Manchanda’s body was found in the drain. The conflicting accounts mean the precise mechanism of death should not be treated as settled until the investigation establishes it.
Possible financial dispute under investigation
Police are also examining a possible financial dispute involving Manchanda and the accused.
The three had previously worked together in the real estate sector. Investigators have reportedly received different accounts from the accused about the amount involved, with figures of ₹5 lakh and ₹25 lakh mentioned during questioning. Police are verifying whether any such dispute was connected to the alleged killing.
The motive therefore remains a matter for investigators to establish rather than a confirmed finding.
Body was recovered before family knew he was dead
Manchanda’s body was recovered from a drain in Gurugram on September 10, four days after he disappeared.
The family, however, says it did not learn of his death until September 16. By then, the unidentified body had already been cremated on September 14, according to multiple reports.
The handling of the unidentified body has since become a separate point of contention.
The family has questioned why the body was not matched with Manchanda’s missing-person information before the cremation. Gurugram Police have said prescribed procedures were followed and have disputed some of the family’s allegations concerning the handling and identification process.
The Indian Express reported that Manchanda’s details and photograph were uploaded to ZIPNET on September 12, while the unidentified body had been recovered two days earlier. The newspaper also reported that police received information about the body on September 10 and circulated a Hue and Cry Notice internally.
The family has said it wants access to his belongings and remains.
Investigation continues
Police are now reconstructing the movements of Vats and Sachdeva, examining phone activity, CCTV footage and other technical evidence.
Investigators are also trying to establish exactly how Manchanda died, what happened between the alleged confrontation and the disposal of his body, and why messages continued to be sent from his phone after he disappeared.
For Manchanda’s family, the messages that appeared to come from him prolonged the uncertainty. His relatives believed he was alive and expected him to return, while investigators now allege that his phone was being used to conceal what had happened.
The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against Vats and Sachdeva have yet to be tested in court.
