‘Supari’ plot, business feud behind Cong leader’s son’s killing; 3 held

Raipur: Nearly a month after masked gunmen stormed into a Congress leader’s house in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district and shot his 19-year-old son dead inside his bedroom, police claimed to have cracked the murder case, linking it to a business rivalry and an alleged contract killing plot.

Three accused — Hemant Baghel, Bhushan Baghel and Amit Tandon, all from Karhi village — were arrested after an inter-state search spanning multiple states and scrutiny of over 200 CCTV footages.

Investigators claimed the accused fled to Gujarat after the April 23 murder and took up work there to avoid suspicion before being traced and detained.

Police said Ayush Kashyap, son of former block Congress vice-president and sand trader Sammelal Kashyap, was targeted amid tensions linked to the sand and gravel business. Ayush had recently become active in the family business.

During questioning, investigators also uncovered an alleged earlier plot to eliminate Sammelal Kashyap. Police claimed one accused had accepted a Rs 7 lakh contract in 2023 to kill him, though the plan did not materialise.

Officials said the identity of the alleged mastermind behind the financing is yet to be established and some suspects remain absconding.

The attackers allegedly smashed CCTV cameras, locked the parents inside a room and opened fire on Ayush and his younger brother inside their house around 12.30 am on April 23. Ayush, a BALLB second-year student, died on the spot, while his younger brother was injured.

Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Pandey said special teams from Janjgir-Champa, Korba and Bilaspur carried out searches across Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and other states under “Operation Hunt” before tracking down the accused.