Gurugram, Jan 13 (IANS): The body of former model Divya Pauja, who was shot dead at a hotel in Gurugram earlier this month, was recovered from a canal in Haryana's Fatehabad district 11 days after the murder, police said on Saturday.

"The body in a decomposing state was recovered from the Bhakra canal in Tohana," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya said.

Divya was shot dead in room number 111 of the City Point Hotel located near the Gurugram bus stand on January 2.

According to the police, Divya and Abhijeet Singh, the owner of the City Point Hotel, were in a relationship and the latter her in a fit of rage after she refused to delete some of his objectionable photos from her mobile phone.

Abhijeet's friends -- Balraj Gill, a resident of Sector-5, Panchkula, and Ravi Banga, from Gurudwara Road Model Town, Hisar -- are suspected to have dumped Divya's body.

The police have so far arrested five persons -- Abhijeet, his aides Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj and a woman, Megha.

Ravi Banga is still absconding.

The woman had helped Abhijeet in discarding the murder weapon, throwing away documents and other personal belongings of the victim.

Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet drag Divya's body into the boot of a BMW car.

Later, Balraj and Ravi fled with the body.

Megha told the police that when she reached the hotel on January 2, she noticed Divya's body.

Abhijeet then asked her to dispose of the belongings of the deceased woman, but she was too scared to follow his instructions, sources said.

The police have recovered the BMW car which was used to take the body to Patiala.

During questioning, Abhijeet told the police that Divya used to blackmail him and also extorted money.

Divya came in contact with Abhijeet through a jailed gangster, Binder Gujjar, who is believed to be the prime conspirator in the alleged "fake encounter" of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, along with the Gurugram Police, which took place in Mumbai in 2016.

Divya was the prime accused in the case.

Later, she was arrested in connection with the gangster's murder, and she spent seven years in jail.

She was granted bail last year in June by the Bombay High Court.

Divya's family has alleged that her murder was conspired by Gadoli's family members, along with Abhijeet.