Jamshedpur, Aug. 26: The three persons detained last night in connection with the murder of a practising lawyer of Sakchi court N.K. Singh were formally arrested today. However, investigations are on and the police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder.
Those arrested are prime accused Raja Ram Yadav and his sons Laxman and Sunil, residents of Pandey Mohallah in Sonari. More people are likely to be arrested soon.
Advocate N.K. Singh was shot dead last night at about 7.15 pm by some unidentified men in front of his house. The killers rang the doorbell and as soon as Singh opened the door, the criminals pumped a bullet into him from point blank range. Singh died on the spot.
Superintendent of police Arun Kumar Oraon today said though an FIR was lodged by the victim’s wife late last night alleging that the murder was the fallout of a dispute over a plot of land with his neighbour Raja Ram Yadav, the murder could be linked to either the Captain Sharma murder case or the Jagat Sharma murder case.
Captain Sharma, a popular doctor was shot dead in his clinic on June 30, 1996 by criminals in the evening while Jagat Sharma, a city-based transporter, was murdered because of business rivalry on June 2, 2000. N.K. Singh represented the prosecution in both the cases.
According to sources, in the Captain Sharma murder case, four persons, including Jairam Yadav, were found guilty and convicted for life.
Moreover, Singh petitioned the court several times demanding production of dreaded criminal Dudhai Yadav, brother of Jairam Yadav. The police do not rule out the involvement of Dudhai Yadav, who is still at large.
In the Jagat Sharma murder case, the victim had crossed-examined dreaded criminal and accused Sunil Singh of Patna, who was on a remand transit to the city from Patna. Since then, the lawyer feared a threat to his life from the undertrial as he had warned him with dire consequences at the court after obtaining bail in the murder case a month ago.
Finally, the victim had tried his arch rival Raja Ram Yadav and his sons convicted in an assault case registered with the Sonari police.
The victim had not only pleaded against Raja Ram Yadav on behalf of the informant Permanand Prasad but had also become a witness. He deposed in the court but the informant turned hostile leading the court to acquit Raja Ram Yadav and his sons.
Besides, Singh was also personally involved in a dispute with the Yadavs over a plot of land.
Yesterday, the victim’s daughter Kiran Singh, an eyewitness, alleged five persons, including the three named above, shot dead her father. Police have also traced another eyewitness, Ganesh Singh.
According to Oraon, Ganesh Singh had seen the assailants flee the spot, but whether the ones he saw were Raja Ram Yadav and his sons is yet to be ascertained.
However, Oraon warded off further queries saying the case was under investigation and it was still in the preliminary stage.
The body of the victim is still lying at the Tata Main Hospital’s morgue.
