The mastermind in the murder of BJP leader Manish Pathak (30), alias Chhotu Pandit, “surrendered” before the East Singhbhum SSP on Tuesday while another accused followed suit in the civil court, providing a relief to the police force that had been under pressure to give quick result in this case.

Police sources said that the main accused, Vikas Tiwary (27), surrendered before SSP Anoop T. Mathew at his residence in Bistupur around 11am, a day after a local court issued a warrant for attachment of property of all the three wanted for the murder.

Soon after the surrender, Vikas was reportedly whisked away in a police van to Sonari thana, where he is being interrogated by a group of senior officers, including DSP (headquarters-I) K.N. Mishra.

Ved Prakas Singh (45), on the other hand, surrendered in the civil court in the afternoon and was subsequently remanded in judicial custody.

Tezu Singh (22), the third accused and son of Ved, is still absconding but likely to surrender anytime soon.
Later, speaking to The Telegraph, DSP Mishra claimed that Vikas was arrested from a place in Mango. “

“Vikas did not surrender, it was a rumour. We have picked him up from Mango while Ved has surrendered in court. Now, it is the turn of Tezu, who will also surrender either before the police or the court very soon,” the DSP added.
A senior police officer claimed that Vikas had already confessed to his crime. “Vikas admitted to have murdered Pandit during preliminary interrogations. We are trying to find out the pistol used in the murder,” he added.

BJP’s Mango Mandal Committee secretary Chhotu Pandit was shot in his forehead from point blank range by two bike-borne youths at Daiguttu in Mango on October 29.

Later, the victim’s brother, Manish Pathak, alleged that five persons were involved in the murder of Chhotu, who was released from prison earlier in October.

Though two of the accused — Chandan Singh and Mohan Singh — surrendered in court on October 31, Vikas, Ved and Tezu had been on the run.

Finally, Vikas and Ved were forced to surrender after the police mounted pressure by initiating the process of attachment of their movable and immovable properties. The police fixed attachment notices at their houses — both at Daigutta — on Monday evening.