Ten arrests, a missing body, and acid-filled bottles: the Senjak case has morphed from a gangland whodunit into a full-blown test of Serbia’s institutions.

Night at Restaurant “27” – and a Vanishing

In the night between May 12 and 13, Aleksandar Nešović, known as Baja, arrived at the “27” restaurant in Belgrade’s upscale Senjak neighborhood after being invited, investigators believe, by then–Belgrade police chief Veselin Milić, ostensibly to settle previous conflicts with Saša Vuković Boske.¹ Surveillance cameras in and around the restaurant allegedly captured who was inside, when Nešović arrived, what happened around the time of the shooting, and who left afterward, helping reconstruct his final hours and the subsequent cleanup of the scene.¹

Soon after, the owner of “27” reportedly became a suspect for knowing about a shooting yet failing to report it, and promptly hired prominent criminal lawyer Dragan Palibrk for his defense.²

From Local Crime to State Crisis

By May 19, the case had exploded into a national scandal. Elite units of the Gendarmerie, SAJ, and the army were deployed around Lake Jarkovac near Inđija, searching for Nešović’s body in rain‑soaked terrain, after prosecutors alleged that ten people took part in covering up the crime, nine of whom were already in custody, including the former Belgrade police chief.³ Analysts framed “Case Senjak” as proof of “deep connections” between senior police officials and criminal networks, warning of a “huge blow to the state’s reputation.”³

Parallel reporting stressed that the murder was not a spontaneous hit: “no one carries acid in their car just like that,” one outlet noted, arguing the killing was clearly planned and pointing to various traces discovered by investigators.⁴

Acid, Evidence, and Unanswered Questions

On May 20, an opposition-leaning outlet sharpened the focus: chemistry professor Branimir Jovančićević publicly underlined that hydrochloric acid is “one of the strongest inorganic acids” with “such destructive power that it can dissolve a human body.”⁵ Police searching a jeep in the village of Putinci reportedly found bottles of hydrochloric acid, blood traces, and surgical gloves – but, even nine days after the killing and systematic erasure of traces in Senjak, Nešović’s body remained missing.⁵

While pro‑government media emphasize the professionalism of the sweeping operation and the need to “defend the professionalism of the service,”³ critical voices see a security apparatus cleaning up its own mess only after “masks finally fell.”³ For now, the acid, the cameras, and the missing corpse all point in one direction – but Serbia is still waiting to see whether this scandal ends in real accountability or just another drawn line that quickly smudges.

---

[1] REPUBLICKA: "RESTAURANT FOOTAGE IN SENJAK SOLVES MYSTERY! Aleksandar Nešović Baja brutally liquidated, then came the REMOVAL of all evidence" – Report on Nešović’s last meeting at restaurant "27", surveillance footage, and evidence including blood traces, shell casings, a phone, and a suspected body‑removal vehicle.

[2] REPUBLICKA: "WE FIND OUT! Owner of "27" restaurant in Senjak hired one of the strongest criminal lawyers: Dragan Palibrk is defending in the case of the murder of Aleksandar Nešović Baja!" – Article on the restaurant owner’s alleged failure to report the shooting and his hiring of top criminal lawyer Dragan Palibrk.

[3] Telegraf: "CASE 'SENJAK' SHAKES SERBIA: It's time to draw a clear line and defend the professionalism of the service!" – Analysis of the Jarkovac search, alleged involvement of senior police in criminal circles, ten suspects in the cover‑up, and the political and institutional fallout.

[4] Kurir: "NEŠOVIĆ'S MURDER WAS PLANNED, NO ONE CARRIES ACID IN THEIR CAR JUST LIKE THAT" The search for the body is still ongoing, various traces have been found – Coverage arguing the murder was premeditated, highlighting the presence of acid in a car and multiple investigative traces.

[5] Danas: "Professor Jovančićević: Hydrochloric acid can dissolve a human body" – Interview where a chemistry professor explains hydrochloric acid’s ability to dissolve living tissue, linked to bottles of acid, blood traces, and gloves found in a jeep, and noting that ten people, including four police officers, have been arrested while Nešović’s body remains missing.