Jamshedpur: Jharkhand Police have arrested four more people in connection with the murder of Karni Sena youth leader Himanshu Singh in Jamshedpur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to nine, officials said on Tuesday.
Police have also recovered several sharp-edged weapons allegedly used in the crime, including a chopper, an axe, a bhujali and knives.
However, the prime accused, Vishwanath Mandal alias Bodra, continues to evade arrest. Police have announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to his capture.
The latest arrests include Lakhindra Lohar, Jagdish Mandal, Vijay Mahanand and a juvenile. According to investigators, CCTV footage collected during the probe established Lohar’s involvement in the attack, leading to his arrest.
Following directions from the newly appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), six Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been formed to investigate the case. The teams are conducting raids across Jharkhand and in other states based on technical evidence and intelligence inputs to trace the remaining accused.
Earlier, police arrested Neeraj Singh, owner of Double Down Bar and a BJP leader, from the Khatu Shyamji area of Rajasthan on Sunday evening. He is being brought to Jamshedpur on transit remand after investigators allegedly found evidence linking him to the case.
Vishwanath Mandal alias Bodra has remained absconding since the murder. Police have appealed to the public for information about his whereabouts, assuring complete confidentiality for anyone providing credible leads.
Himanshu Singh was allegedly hacked to death with sharp-edged weapons outside Double Down Bar in Jamshedpur’s Bistupur area on the night of June 27. Preliminary investigations indicated that the violence erupted after Singh reportedly objected to the alleged harassment of women.
The murder triggered widespread public outrage and criticism of the police response, prompting the Jharkhand government to initiate action against several police officials, including the then SSP.
Police said the investigation is continuing, with efforts focused on arresting the remaining accused and uncovering the full conspiracy behind the killing.
With inputs from IANS