According to the police, Patel and Maurya were heading from Surendra Nagar to Aslali in their truck, when Patel saw some one flashing a torch from behind the bushes on the roadside. Thinking that it might be from a sex worker, Patel parked the truck on the side, and went towards the light source, leaving all his cash and valuables with Maurya. He asked Maurya to join him, who, however, refused.

“He left all his cash and valuables with Maurya. Patel even asked him to join, but the latter refused,” said V R Bajpai, Sub-Inspector, Aslali.

The police said, after reaching the desolate spot, Patel realised he had been tricked. When the criminals found only one Rs 100 note in his pocket, they started beating him up with sticks, causing grievous injuries on his head. “Three of the accused (all men) then broke into the truck and woke up Maurya, who was sleeping in his bunk. They started assaulting him and later fled with the cash (Rs 5,000) and his mobile phone,” Bajpai added.

The police said Maurya raised an alarm following which employees of the hotel came to his help. It was, however, too late, and the accused had already mingled with the darkness, the police said.

Bajpai said Maurya and the others started looking for Patel and found him dead in a deserted place. Patel had succumbed to his injures, he said, adding that Maurya later filed a complaint with the Aslali police.