Patna, Sept. 8: A six-member police team led by an inspector from Buxar has been sent to Calcutta to take two criminals, Onkar Nath Singh alias Seru and Chandra Mishra, in remand for interrogation in connection with the murder of businessman Rajendra Prasad Keshari.

The businessman was attacked by the criminals at his hardware shop in Buxar on August 21, 2011. Sources said he had refused to cough up extortion money.

The two criminals, who are facing charges of murder and extortion, were nabbed by the Calcutta police from Dharamtala area of the city. They had gone to collect extortion money last evening from a Calcutta-based businessman, also a native of Buxar. “The police team comprising an inspector, a havildar and four constables was sent soon after receiving information about their arrest,” a senior police officer in Buxar said.

Sources said that both Seru, a resident of Dullahpur village under Simri police station and Mishra, from Sonbarsa village under Industrial police station, had a reward of Rs 50,000 each on their heads. Mishra had escaped from judicial custody in October 2010 while being taken to court from Buxar central jail.

Seru’s name had figured in the killing of Arshad Warsi, a clerk posted at the Buxar central jail in May this year. He was also involved in the murder of a former mukhiya Naushad Ali and Shivji Kharbar, husband of Simri block pramukh Pramila Devi, police said.

Seru forayed into the world of crime in 2007 after murdering a transporter, Anil Singh. Seru had fallen in love with Anil’s daughter and wanted to marry her. But Anil’s family opposed the marriage. This led to an altercation and the murder.