Three-member SIT to probe Abohar bizman's murder

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Digging deeper into the murder of 54-year-old Abohar-based businessman Sanjay Verma, Fazilka senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh on Saturday constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT). Sanjay Verma, 54, owner of a textile firm, was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne persons right outside his showroom in Abohar town at 10.15 am. (HT)
Confirming the development, SSP Gurmeet said the SIT comprised the Abohar deputy superintendent of police (DSP), and the station house officers (SHOs) of City Abohar and Khuiyan Sarwar police stations.
'All efforts are being made to trace and arrest Shakti of Abohar's Azimgarh area and his two accomplices who are the prime suspects in the July 7 murder,' said the SSP.
'They received ₹1.40 lakh in their account from a foreign handler as payment for executing the crime,' said the SSP, while refusing to disclose the identity of the foreign sender or the country involved.
Their three accomplices — Inderpal Bishnoi, 26, Sandeep Khichad, 28, and Pawan Khichad, 24, all residents of Kuchor village in Bikaner district — were produced before a local court and sent to four-day police remand.
As per police, the trio allegedly provided shelter to the shooters and played an active role in helping them evade arrest. They also arranged financial and logistical support for the fugitives. One of the accused reportedly runs a paying guest (PG) accommodation where the shooters stayed while on the run.
'We expect further questioning during the police remand to yield more crucial leads,' the SSP added.
Sanjay Verma, the victim. (HT)
Even five days after the broad daylight murder of Sanjay Verma in a busy commercial area of Abohar, police have neither arrested Shakti nor identified his two accomplices, who together fired 8-10 rounds at the victim.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that unidentified individuals had fired gunshots outside Verma's residence a few weeks prior to his murder.
However, Ferozepur deputy inspector general (DIG) Harmanbir Singh Gill stated, 'No member of the victim's family ever informed the police about any such firing incident.'
SSP Gurmeet added, 'We will certainly look into the matter to verify whether any such incident of gunfire actually occurred.'
Magisterial probe underway into 2 suspects' killing
Meanwhile, police have also yet to identify those responsible for the July 8 killings of Ram Rattan and Jaspreet while they were reportedly being taken for weapon recovery in police custody. Although initially claimed to be an encounter by police, the FIR states they were shot dead by their own unidentified accomplices.
A magisterial probe was ordered into their killing on July 9.
Police said during preliminary interrogation, Ram and Jaspreet had confessed to having facilitated firearms for the shooters. The SSP refrained from further comment, citing the matter as sub-judice and under magisterial inquiry.
Protesting Jaspreet's killing, his family submitted a memorandum to the Patiala sub-divisional magistrate, demanding a CBI probe.
Sukhbir meets bereaved family, condemns deteriorating law and order
On Saturday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal visited the bereaved Verma family on Saturday. Addressing the media, Badal strongly criticised the deteriorating law and order in Punjab.
He said, 'The Vermas are a respected family who have always served society. If such people can be gunned down in broad daylight, how can ordinary citizens feel safe?'
He pointed to a surge in crime, especially extortion and shootings, over the past two to three years, citing a recent incident where a doctor in Moga was shot for ransom.
Badal accused the state government of being absent and alleged that chief minister Bhagwant Mann had allegedly ceded control of Punjab to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP accuses BJP of patronising gangsters
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday evening staged a protest against the alleged patronage being extended to gangsters lodged in jails by the central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Leading the protest, AAP MLA from Fazilka Narinder Pal Singh Sawna accused the BJP of shielding criminals and enabling their operations even from behind bars. Former MLA Arun Narang also participated in the protest, lending support to the party's demand for immediate action against the alleged nexus between gangsters and jail authorities.
The AAP leaders demanded that the Centre take strict action to dismantle the criminal networks operating from prisons and ensure accountability of officials involved in offering protection or aid to gangsters.