Three more held in Rs 15 lakh contract killing of Rau man

Indore: Nearly two months after a murder that was initially suspected to be a road accident, Rau police have arrested three more accused, including the alleged mastermind and claimed to have unravelled a conspiracy involving an illicit relationship, an old rivalry and a Rs 15 lakh contract to eliminate a 31-year-old man.

The man, Naveen Patidar of Rangwasa in Rau, was found seriously injured near Nakhrali Dhani on CAT Road on the night of April 12. He was rushed for medical examination and the death was recorded as the case initially appeared to be a road accident. However, doctors found a bullet lodged in the back of his neck during examination.

A detailed inspection of the spot later led investigators to recover an empty cartridge, while CCTV footage revealed that two motorcycle-borne assailants had approached Naveen and shot him from close range, killing him on the spot.

Based on the findings, Rau police registered a murder case and launched an investigation. Earlier, police had arrested four accused, including Naveen’s wife, along with alleged shooters Mukesh Kumawat of Ujjain, Ajay Dholpuriya and Shriram Balai of Dewas district. A motorcycle, a country-made pistol and cartridges used in the crime were also seized.

During interrogation, investigators learnt that Rahul Uike had been harbouring a grudge against Naveen. Police said Naveen had allegedly tipped off authorities in an earlier case that resulted in Rahul’s arrest. Investigators also found that Rahul was allegedly involved in an illicit relationship with Naveen’s wife. The duo allegedly conspired to eliminate Naveen and arranged for contract killers to execute the plan.

Police teams continued searching for the remaining accused and a reward of Rs 10,000 had been announced for information leading to their arrest. Acting on technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, police tracked Rahul and another suspect to Nagpur before receiving information that Rahul had returned to the Rangwasa area. He was subsequently detained and questioned.

According to police, Rahul disclosed that his friend Raju Gugle Khatik had provided Rs 15 lakh to facilitate Naveen’s murder. Police have now arrested Rahul, 42, Raju, 58 and Shubham Madroshiya, 26, all residents of Ujjain. Investigators also recovered Rs 5 lakh, believed to be part of the contract money, from Rahul.

Police records show that Rahul has more than 20 criminal cases registered against him, including offences related to murder, attempted murder, illegal arms possession, assault and gambling. Shubham is also stated to have a criminal history, with around a dozen cases related to assault and other disputes registered against him.

Further investigation is underway to establish the roles of all accused and trace the financial trail linked to the murder conspiracy.