Two iPhone buyers conspired to rob and murder delivery man

The phone was ordered via Indian online ecommerce site Flipkart, which has previously partnered with Apple over sales promotions. In this case, it's not clear what reseller was selling the iPhone via Flipkart, but whichever it was, it offered a Cash On Delivery (COD) option.

According to The Independent, the accused — identified only as Gajanan — and an accomplice named Akash ordered an iPhone worth approximately $1,800. Delivery agent Bharat Sahu then brought the iPhone to Gajanan's residence in Chinhat, Lucknow, in northern India.

"On 23 September delivery boy, Bharat Sahu of Nishatganj, went to deliver the phone at his place where he was killed by Gajanan and his accomplice," senior police official Shashank Singh told reporters. "After strangulating Sahu, they put his body in a sack and disposed of it in the Indira Canal."

The 30-year-old Sahu's family reported him missing after two days. His body has not yet been found.

Police found Gajanan's phone number while reviewing Sahu's call records. This also led them to Akash, who reportedly confessed under interrogation.

Akash is said to have admitted the murder but declined to give a reason. Consequently, it's not clear whether the two men intended to sell on the iPhone, or somehow both have it for personal use.

It's also not known what type of iPhone it is, but based on the reported price, it is believed to be an iPhone 16 Pro Max. The price of this model is said to be three times the average monthly salary of a resident in India.

Separately, Gajanan's home town of Lucknow is where an Apple sales manager was shot and killed by police in 2018.