Rohtas superintendent of police Manu Maharaj with the arrested people. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, June 14: An illicit relationship and his subsequent bid to blackmail his paramour’s husband triggered the murder of the JD(U) leader Rajeshwar Tiwari alias Pappu.

Cracking the case within 24 hours, the Rohtas police today unravelled the mystery behind Tiwari’s murder. Five persons have been arrested.

Rajeshwar (30) was killed near Hathdiha village under Dawath police station of Rohtas district on Monday.

Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Manu Maharaj said a special team was constituted to crack the case on a priority basis. It received information that Rajeshwar’s murder was the fallout of his illicit relationship with the wife of former Giddha panchayat head Prem Tiwari.

“Rajeshwar used to blackmail the former mukhiya (Prem) and often demanded money on the pretext of making his illicit relationship with latter’s wife public. In a bid to get rid of him, Prem hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Rajeshwar,” the SP said.

Prem is also an accused in a rape case lodged with Dawath police station on December 9, 2009. The SP said the former village head was booked under sections 376 (rape) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Unfolding the strategy chalked out by the assailants, the SP said the armed men attacked Rajeshwar when he was sleeping at a brick kiln unit at a secluded place between Madhopur and Giddha panchayats.

The assailants were also taking a rest at the same brick kiln unit, the SP said.

He said the marauders tried to give a twist to the incident, but the police nabbed all the five persons involved in the incident. Besides Prem, Santosh Tiwari, Abhay Singh alias Tunna Singh, Munna Singh, Saroj Pandey and Nathuni Singh were arrested.

“The arrested persons have confessed to their involvement in the crime,” the SP said. The police seized the firearms used in the crime on the basis of information given by Munna Singh and his brother Abhay Singh alias Tunna Singh.

A double-barrel gun, two live cartridges of .12 bore, two country-made pistols and five cartridges were recovered from the houses of the two brothers.

“Initially it appeared to be the handiwork of the Maoist as the area is Naxalite dominated,” Maharaj said, adding that instructions had been issued to submit the chargesheet in the case at the earliest.

“We have enough evidence to prosecute the accused,” he said. The trail of the case would be held on a priority basis, he added.

The SP announced to reward the members of the police team for solving the case in record time. The police team comprised Ramanand Sagar (inspector), Ajay Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Ranjeet Singh and Bhagwan Ram (all sub-inspectors) of Dawath police station.