The accused being taken to court on Thursday. Picture by Rakesh Kumar Singh

Isuapur police station house officer (SHO) Sanjay Kumar Tiwary, who was gunned down on Monday, paid with his life because he foiled two robbery bids by a professional gang.

The fact came to light during the interrogation of three youths arrested in connection with the murder in Saran district on Wednesday night.

The kingpin in the murder case remains at large.

The youths told interrogators they were planning to rob money belonging to a petrol station at Isuapur in Saran, around 80km northwest of Patna. They had failed to do so twice in the past.

Saran superintendent of police (SP) Satyaveer Singh told The Telegraph over phone on Thursday that the slain SHO foiled two attempts by members of the professional gang to rob money belonging to a fuel outlet, owned by D.K. Singh, a medical practitioner.

In the absence of a nationalised bank in Isuapur, businessmen in Isuapur area have to travel 10 to 12km to remote places in order to deposit their earnings in banks.

SP Satyaveer said the gang had tried to rob the petrol station money when it was being taken to a bank on December 8 and, before that, in November.

After the first failed bid to rob his car, the fuel outlet’s owner alerted the police. Isuapur SHO Sanjay Kumar Tiwary provided police cover on December 8 and then, on Monday, himself escorted the doctor’s dentist son Pratik Kumar when he went to deposit money in the bank.

The SP said a chowkidaar too was with Tiwary when he accompanied Pratik after the latter sought police assistance for depositing Rs 3 lakh cash at the bank.

During interrogation, the arrested persons — Rikesh Kumar, Kush Kumar and Kallu — said they were following the vehicle from the petrol pump on Monday too but changed their mind about robbing it. They stopped near Shyam Kauria railway crossing after finding that the SHO, too, was in the car.

Kallu, a resident of Atanagar village, is a neighbour of the petrol pump owner.

He was assigned to keep a close watch on the movement of the petrol station’s owner.

His two associates — brothers Rikesh and Kush — are residents of Gangoi village in Saran district and were in constant touch with the kingpin of the gang, who remains at large.

According to the SP, while returning from the bank, the SHO tried to frisk the three men near the railway crossing. A brawl ensued over the frisking and one of them, who is facing charges of loot, extortion and attempt to murder, fired at the SHO from point blank range.

After killing him they took away the police officer’s service revolver.

The police have still not found the slain SHO’s service revolver.

A mobile phone and a motorbike used in the crime were seized from the possession of the arrested persons.

The three suspects were arrested after tracing their calls, as chowkidar Upendra and the doctor’s son had identified Kallu. Raids were still on to arrest the kingpin of the gang, who remains absconding after the incident.