According to police, Jaiveer Singh, the photographer, was reported missing on January 13 from Sikandarpur village in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad.

His body was found today near the Ramala Police Station of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

Sources in UP police say the accused, Devendra, owed the photographer some money and had not repaid it.

Jaiveer’s brother, Mahipal, told police that Jaiveer gave Rs 80,000 to Devendra and his father, Rampal Singh Tomar, three years back, and that the two families had a dispute since then.

Deepak Ratan, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad, said, “Based on his brother’s report, the case of missing had been changed to that of kidnapping and murder.”

Jaiveer had been missing ever since he last left home for Baghpat, police said. Family members had then suspected Devendra and his father’s role in Jaiveer’s alleged kidnap.

Jaiveer’s body has been sent for postmortem and Devendra has been sent to police custody.

Police are interrogating the accused and officials said action would be taken against his father if his role is established.