12 detained in murder case

Patna: Patna police have detained around a dozen persons in connection with the murder of under-secretary level officer Rajeev Kumar.

The detained persons are residents of a nearby slum area. Around 3am on Tuesday morning, three armed criminals had barged into Rajeev’s house at R Block road number 2 with the intention of loot. After robbing Rs 40,000 and jewellery, they shot Rajeev as he resisted the loot attempt. Rajeev, an under-secretary in the planning and development department, was rushed to Ruban Memorial Hospital in Patliputra where he succumbed to his injuries.

“The police have detained around a dozen persons, most of them residents of the nearby slum area,” Patna superintendent of police (SP) Central, D Amarkesh, said. “The detained persons have a criminal background and were involved in various criminal activities such as loot and theft. Their interrogation is on. We have also employed a dog squad to track the criminals involved in the incident,” said the SP. The three criminals were in their mid-twenties with their faces were covered with towel.

“The criminals were demanding more money from Rajeev’s family, saying he had got huge money from the secretariat,” a police officer at Sachivalaya police station said on condition of anonymity. “It appears they had prior information about Rajeev’s financial position. They knew also that there were only three members (and just one male member) in the house.”

The police said that according to the family members, all three criminals had pistols and were under the influence of alcohol. The criminals had reached the spot on foot and left after committing the crime.

Sources said that as the crime took place in a protected area housing government officials, MLAs and even some ministers, the police want to crack the case as soon as possible. Patna police have already suspended the SHO of Sachivalya police station, Rakesh Kumar Bhaskar, sub-inspector Anant Kumar and seven police personnel from patrolling squad.

Courtesy: The Telegraph