To shed ‘petty thief’ tag, man commits murder to upgrade criminal image

SAHARANPUR: In a chilling case of a crime committed solely for building “reputation” and “elevate criminal image”, Saharanpur police have arrested two daily wagers for murdering a 32-year-old accountant. Police revealed that the prime suspect orchestrated the killing of a stranger just to shed the humiliating tag of a petty “thief” and instill fear in his village.The suspects, Vishal Kumar and Gagan Kumar, both in their early 20s, were arrested for the murder of Pintu, a brick-kiln accountant who went missing on April 29. Pintu’s body was discovered in a drain near Aakhlaur Kheri village on May 3.According to SP (Rural) Mayank Pathak, the bizarre motive stemmed from a family dispute. “Vishal was jailed in a robbery case last year and had recently been released. A few days before the murder, he and Gagan went to a Muzaffarnagar court for a hearing. On their way back, their motorcycle broke down, forcing them to abandon it. His father beat him and accused him of stealing the missing bike. Neighbours quickly joined in, mocking him as a petty thief,” the SP said.Furious and desperate to replace the “thief” stigma with a terrifying reputation, Vishal decided to commit a heinous crime. On April 29, he and Gagan intercepted Pintu on his motorcycle, strangled him, dragged him into a sugarcane field, and repeatedly smashed his head with a brick.Police confirmed that the victim was chosen entirely at random. “The accused had no personal enmity or acquaintance with Pintu,” SP Pathak said. “They were simply frustrated by constant taunts and wanted to elevate their criminal image.”The duo has been booked under BNS sections 103 (murder) and 238 (destruction of evidence) and sent to jail.