NEW DELHI:

As the investigation into the brutal killing of Delhi realtor Yuvraj Singh Manchanda intensifies, law enforcement authorities are looking into a labyrinth of financial irregularities, extortion plots, and property disputes involving the primary suspects.

Investigators are examining whether Manchanda had discovered illicit financial dealings and disputes tied to his former colleagues, Anya Vats and Sanyam Sachdeva, prior to his death. While police have not yet established a direct link between these financial cases and the murder, they form a crucial part of uncovering the background and motives of the accused.

The Rs 1.2 Crore Cheating Scam

The probe has brought a high-stakes cheating case under intense scrutiny. Registered at the Parliament Street police station in August following a complaint by a senior executive of a non-banking financial company (NBFC)—who happens to be a former schoolmate of Sachdeva—the case details a calculated extortion plot.

According to police sources, the victim was targeted starting September 2024 and was sent fabricated notices falsely claiming to be from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Union Home Ministry. Vats and Sachdeva allegedly convinced the victim that they wielded high-level government influence and could help him clear his name from bogus probes under strict laws like the PMLA, NDPS, and UAPA.

Under duress, the senior executive transferred over Rs 1.2 crore—funneled largely into Vats' bank account—by draining personal savings, taking out loans, and borrowing from family. The extortion escalated as Vats demanded another Rs 26 crore, falsely claiming Rs 13.8 crore had already been paid to government agencies. One chilling threat text recovered by police read: "Sell your wife/do anything, just repay this."

Property Disputes and Financial Claims

Investigators are concurrently probing a separate dispute centered around a Greater Noida property valued at approximately Rs 4 crore. This dispute involves Sanyam Sachdeva, his estranged wife (who has also filed a domestic violence complaint), and Anya Vats.

Manchanda, Vats, and Sachdeva previously worked together at a real estate firm. Police noted that Vats was earlier ousted from the company due to alleged financial irregularities. Following her arrest alongside Sachdeva for Manchanda's killing, Vats claimed to investigators that she had handed over around Rs 1 crore to the slain realtor, which she alleged was never returned. Police are verifying this transaction to check its relevance to the wider web of financial disputes.

The Timeline of the Crime

According to police findings, the SUV allegedly used to transport Manchanda's body was driven to a residential complex where Vats lived on September 6—the day the realtor went missing. CCTV footage traced the vehicle to a nearby facility the following day, where it remained parked until September 8.

The accused allegedly dumped Manchanda's body in a drain within the Badshahpur police station limits in Gurugram on September 8 before fleeing the city the next day. The victim's body was recovered on September 10.

Controversy also surrounds the handling of the body after recovery, with Manchanda’s family alleging they were kept in the dark before an unidentified cremation was carried out on September 14. Gurugram police conducted a post-mortem examination, and the final forensic reports and case documents are expected to be handed over to the Delhi Police shortly to solidify the murder prosecution.