Pintu Yadav and his mother. Telegraph picture

Patna, April 29: After a futile search for a week, Araria police today finally swung into action and arrested one of the 13 persons named as accused in the alleged public execution of 18-year-old Pintu Yadav.

Pintu, who worked in Punjab, was allegedly hanged to death by the henchmen of farmlord Baleshwar Yadav who suspected the youth of having a hand in the disappearance of his daughter. Pintu, according to local sources, had a relationship with Baleshwar’s daughter Daizy Kumari, 15.

Forbesganj sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ram Kripal Sharma told The Telegraph that Dhirendra Yadav, a close relative of Baleshwar, was arrested from Narpatganj today. Dhirendra’s wife is contesting the panchayat election for the post of mukhiya (village head), he said.

The chain of events began after Daizy went missing on April 14 from their home in Jharkahan village. Baleshwar, who did not inform the police about the disappearance, forced Pintu’s father to summon his son from Punjab. Pintu reached home on April 21 and was taken to the house of Baleshwar’s relative Tipu Yadav in nearby Khairbanna village, seven kilometres away.

On April 23, his body was found and according to the police FIR lodged by his father Chhabu Yadav, the boy was hanged in “full public glare”.

Police sources said Dhirendra was assigned to manage the youth’s family after Pintu was “hanged to death”. Dhirendra, along with his associates, had dumped Pintu’s body near his house on April 23, the sources said, adding that he had also tried to “influence” Pintu’s father.

“No other family member except an octogenarian woman was present in the house of Baleshwar. All male and female members are absconding after the incident,” Sharma, the sub-divisional police officer said, adding that raids had been launched to apprehend the remaining accused.

Sharma said that during interrogation, Dhirendra had confessed to his involvement in the chilling crime and told the police that he visited Tipu’s house at Khairbanna on April 23 only to find the dead body of Pintu lying there. “Dhirendra was in constant touch with Tipu after the mysterious disappearance of Baleshwar’s daughter,” the officer said.

Sharma said that Dhirendra went to Tipu’s ancestral house after receiving information that Pintu had been taken there. “Though he was very much in the know of the incident that took place on April 22-23, he did not bother to inform the police. This shows that the youth (Pintu) was punished with his (Dhirendra’s) consent too,” he added.

Pintu’s family has decided to approach the state human rights commission for justice. A close relative of Chhabu said the police tried to suppress the matter and none of the accused was arrested till Thursday. “The police swung into action only after the media (The Telegraph) highlighted the incident,” he said, adding that the youth’s family also apprehended threat to their lives.