Mentally ill man suspected of being a thief beaten to death in Ghaziabad; 1 arrested

Station House Officer (SHO), Khoda, Naresh Kumar Sharma, told The Indian Express that the accused was arrested on Sunday and sent to judicial custody. A 31-year-old man has been arrested by Ghaziabad Police for allegedly assaulting and beating to death a man with a mental health condition, after the latter wandered into a residential area and was wrongly identified as a thief, police said on Monday. According to police, the accused, Ankit Yadav, had thrown the body outside Noida’s Post Graduate Institute of Child Health Hospital and had been absconding since April 27.Station House Officer (SHO), Khoda, Naresh Kumar Sharma, told The Indian Express that the accused was arrested on Sunday and sent to judicial custody. “We began investigating after we were informed by the Noida Police that they had found an unidentified body near the PGI Child Health Hospital. We found that the deceased, Vinod, was mentally ill and had left his home around midnight without informing anyone and reached Saraswati Vihar. Later, he was mistaken as a thief and was beaten by the accused,” the SHO said. Noida Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Maneesha Singh, said Noida Police had registered a Zero FIR after they found the body outside the hospital on April 27. “When the accused realised that Vinod was severely injured, he planned to take him to the hospital but Vinod died on the way. Seeing this, the accused fled the spot,” the officer said. Noida’s Sector 20, SHO, Aravind Kumar, said, “A review of surveillance camera footage from the area around the hospital pointed investigators back toward Ghaziabad, ultimately tracing the origin of the crime to the Khora locality.”Story continues below this ad According to police, the post-mortem examination subsequently confirmed that the death was caused by physical assault. Police said locals and the victim’s parents said he had mental health issues and used to roam the neighbourhood. “We have not ruled out the involvement of additional persons and the investigation remains active. For now, we have made one arrest in the case,” the Khoda SHO said. Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court