Gwalior, Sep 23 (IANS) A history-sheeter was shot dead allegedly by a group of assailants in Gwalior, with police suspecting an old rivalry linked to the murder of another criminal.
The deceased, identified as Chhotu Rajawat, was travelling on a motorcycle with his associates when the attackers intercepted them near a railway overbridge close to the LNIPE Institute on Mela Road around midnight, police said.
According to police, two of the accused, identified as Dinu and Hemu, allegedly grabbed Rajawat by his collar and dragged him off the motorcycle before shooting him at close range in the chest and head.
He died on the spot, according to police. The assailants allegedly fled the scene while brandishing firearms, prompting a police response in the area.
A named FIR has been registered against Hemu Sikarwar, Dinu Sikarwar, Ranu, Rajveer and Ajit on the basis of the statement of Rajawat’s associate, police said.
CSP Nagendra Singh Sikarwar and Padav police station in-charge Shailendra Bhargava reached the spot along with other police personnel after receiving information about the incident.
The body was sent to the mortuary for post-mortem examination.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the murder is linked to an old rivalry. Separate teams have been formed, and raids are being conducted at the suspected hideouts of the accused,” Gwalior ASP Sujawal Bagga said.
Police said Rajawat had been lodged in jail in connection with the murder of Bhola Sikarwar and had recently secured bail. More than a dozen criminal cases were registered against him, according to police.
Investigators are probing a possible link between the two murders. Bhola Sikarwar was killed about a year ago after his brother Dinu allegedly challenged gangster Bunty Bhadauria on social media.
Police had then alleged that Bhadauria went looking for Dinu but, unable to find him, targeted his brother Bhola. During the investigation into Bhola’s murder, police had alleged that Rajawat disclosed Bhola’s location to Bhadauria. Rajawat was subsequently arrested in the case, according to police.
Police teams are conducting raids at various locations to trace the five accused named in the FIR. “The accused have been identified, and police teams are working at different locations to apprehend them. They will be arrested soon,” Bagga said.
The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing and the possible involvement of others in the attack.
–IANS
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