A BMP constable from Lakhisarai has identified some gang members who are in police remand in connection with Begusarai-based BPCL contractor Prakesh Koley's murder, a major breakthrough in the case.

Constable Nabin Kumar (33) was himself robbed of his belongings and Rs 40,000 by the gang. Nabin, a native of Barhaiya, had alighted from the Rajgir-Howrah Express at Bhagalpur station on the night of May 5. He was headed for Araria, and waited for a vehicle outside the railway station. "After spending some time, a white Tata Safari stopped near me. There were 5-6 youths inside the vehicle. The driver told me he would drop me at Purnea for Rs 120," Nabin told the police.

He got into the vehicle, but as soon as the vehicle crossed the Vikramshila bridge across the Ganga, the youths beat him up, snatched his purse, cellphone and ATM card. They then asked him for him ATM pin but when the pin did not work they beat him up further. "They threatened me with pistols, acid bottles and ropes, compelling me to give them my original ATM pin number," he told the police.

Nabin said they altogether withdrew Rs 40,000 from his account, after stopping at four or five ATMs, and set him free near Bihpur the next day. "I went to Bihpur police station but they did not entertain my complaint. I had to return to Barhaiya where I registered an FIR with Barhaiya police station on May 8," he said.

After coming to know about contractor Koley's murder from the newspapers, he walked to the Naugachia model police station on Tuesday, narrated his ordeal and identified four of the six gang members locked up in the police station. He also identified the white coloured Tata Safari and his white coloured Panasonic cellphone that the gang had robbed him of on the night of May 5. On the night of May 24, the police nabbed six persons from NH-80, near Zero Mile in Naugachia, along with the Tata Safari. They recovered six cellphones, along with the one that belonged to Nabin, from the possession of the gang.

Nabin identified Lallu Yadav, the kingpin of the gang and said he was more active than the other gang members and had continuously threatened him on that night. "We're going to established Nabin's statement and use it as solid evidence against the gang behind such crimes and also in killing Koley. We hope this time, the accused are punished by a court of law," said a police officer at Naugachia.

The body of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited contractor Prakash Koley was recovered from the Kosi in Bhagalpur district's Naugachhia on Monday, a day after eight suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in his kidnapping and subsequent murder. Prakash, a leading contractor of BPCL based at Barauni in Begusarai, went missing while returning home from Kursela in Katihar district via Naugachhia-Bhagalpur on May 21.