Two held in sand trader’s murder case

 

 

 

 

Police have successfully apprehended two individuals in connection with broad daylight murder of sand trader, Dharmendra Thakur in Sihora, Jabalpur. The assailants were arrested on Friday evening after a concerted manhunt, bringing a swift resolution to the shocking crime that occurred on Thursday afternoon. The victim, Dharmendra Thakur was reportedly very active in local civic programs.

 

On Thursday, shortly after leaving his residence in Sihora-Khitauli and traveling around 200 meters, he was intercepted by two men riding a motorcycle. The attackers, identified as Lavi alias Som Tiwari and Shekhar Burman, after a brief struggle fired three bullets, killing Thakur instantly at the scene. Following the shooting, the perpetrators fled on the motorcycle, initially heading towards Katni before proceeding to Darshani village.

 

They attempted to dodge police by hiding in a secluded area and switching off their mobile phones, posing a considerable challenge to the investigating teams. Under the direct supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) Sampat Upadhyay and leadership of ASP Jitendra Singh, the teams from Crime Branch, Khitauli and Sihora police stations initiated a rigorous pursuit. The breakthrough occurred on Friday afternoon when the ASP received information regarding an unattended motorcycle parked in a secluded area near Darshani.

 

The police teams successfully located and cordoned off the area where the two men were found hiding. They were subsequently confirmed to be Som Tiwari (resident of Rewa) and Shekhar Burman (resident of Sihora), the accused in the shooting. The police are investigating the potential motive, which is believed to stem from a protracted rivalry between the victim and notorious local criminal Assu Vishwakarma.

 

It is reported that the arrested shooters were associates of Vishwakarma, and the act was suspected to have been committed at his behest. Following their arrest, both accused were presented before the court by Khitauli police and were placed in three-day police remand to facilitate further investigation. Meanwhile, Assu Vishwakarma is currently undergoing medical treatment in Nagpur. A Jabalpur police team is scheduled to travel to Nagpur shortly to interrogate him regarding his alleged role in commissioning the murder.