Just before his death, Chetan Saini had taken some selfies on his phone, which might now provide crucial clues to the police about the mysterious hanging of the 40-year-old man outside the Nahargarh Fort.
"When we checked, it was found that the deceased had taken some selfies with Nahargarh fort walls as the backdrop. We immediately handed over the phone to the FSL team for analysis," additional commissioner of police (crime), Prafful Kumar, told the Times of India.
Saini left his home at 3:30 pm on Thursday and did not return, according to the report.
Some messages about the film 'Padmavati' were found etched on rocks nearby, leading police to suspect that the death could be linked to the ongoing protests about the period drama directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
#BREAKING 1st ON CNN-News18 | Man 1st murdered then hanged at Nahargarh Fort. It's a murder not suicide;& it has no link to @FilmPadmavati: Jaipur Police sources | @BhawaniSinghIBN with details #PadmavatiDeadlyTurnpic.twitter.com/e0v8RjuTd3
— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 24, 2017
The post-mortem report yesterday indicated hanging as the cause of death, a police official told IANS.
"We have received post mortem report today which indicates death due to ante mortem hanging and the injury and abrasion marks found on the right side of the body can also be due to hanging, the report said," Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, Satyendra Singh said.
"We are also waiting for the viscera and Forensic Science Lab report," he said.
Police also released a CCTV footage of Saini, a local businessman, showing him alone walking near the boundary of the fort before his body was found on Friday morning. A message, written on one of the stones near the fort wall adjacent to the body, read, "Hum putle nahin jalate....latkate hain" (we don't burn effigies, we hang them) as well.
There were other things also found written, eyewitnesses said but police refused to confirm them.
"His wife has approached us requesting us to investigate it as a murder case. We will thoroughly investigate the case," said the DCP.
Meanwhile, Saini's brother has said that "it appears to be a murder."
"Will demand for an investigation into the death," Ram Ratan Saini told ANI.
My brother cannot commit suicide, it appears to be a murder. Will demand for an investigation into the death. He has nothing to do with it (threat note written on rocks #Padmavati ): Ram Ratan Saini, brother of man found dead at Nahargarh Fort in #Jaipurpic.twitter.com/RWeqk6nBT4
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2017
(With inputs from IANS)