Hazaribagh, Sept. 26: Notorious criminal Chandan Pathak was arrested for the murder and abduction of bank manger Vinod Sao on September 2. Pathak was the main accused in the case.
Vinod, son of a brick kiln-owner and a father of two, had been abducted from Kani Bazar area on September 2 and murdered at Shivpuri cemetery the same day.
According to Hazaribagh police, Chandan Pathak, Jogi, Pramod Kumar and Vinod Rajak had met the bank manager at Kani Bazar and overpowered him. They had gagged the victim to prevent him from raising an alarm.
“Sao was taken to the cemetery on a motorcycle, registration number JH2A-2579. He was forced to record a statement saying he was in danger. After that he was killed. The criminals pumped three bullets into him. The body was buried in a grave,” police said.
The kidnappers played the recorded message to the victim’s family over the telephone to remind them of the ransom. The family had informed the police that Sao was carrying a signed cheque of Rs 7,000 with him. Investigations revealed that the cheque had been cashed from the Hazaribagh branch of the State Bank of India by Chandan Patkak. It finally led to Pathak’s arrest.
Superintendent of police, Hazaribagh, R.K. Mullik said: “To hoodwink the police, the abductors had dumped the victim’s motorcycle at Charwa Dam. We are looking for his accomplices based on the information given by Pathak. Other criminals, who are still at large, have gone underground since Pathak’s arrest. The plot was masterminded by Ormanjhi-based criminal, A. Oraon.”
The Hazaribagh police have sought the help of the Ranchi police for Oraon’s arrest,” he added.
DC pleads transfer: The district commissioner of Koderma has pleaded for a transfer for having failed to check rampant corruption.
Deputy commissioner Agapati Soreng has sent a confidential note to the commissioner of North Chhotanagpur seeking his help to get him transferred from Koderma, for he has been humiliated by his junior officers and local politicians here.
This is the first instance in the history of Bihar and Jharkhand that a deputy commissioner has asked for a transfer stating that his “corrupt” officers have forced him to take the step.
In a letter (no. 1101) dated, September 9, Soreng has given the details of all such “corrupt” officers and the malpractice present in the district headquarters. “These officers are fanning corruption and nepotism and are not concerned about finishing official work on time,” the letter reads.
The DC, who belongs to the Scheduled Tribe, has suggested a mass transfer of all officers posted at Koderma and has asked the commissioner to constitute an inquiry committee to see what work has been done during his tenure and punish those who have delayed projects.
According to the letter, no one has dared to transfer an officer named Mukul Kumar Pandey for the past five years, who handles important folios like transport, food and civil supplies, certificate cases, legal section and commercial department. Pandey was a block development officer of Jainagar for two years before joining the district headquarters.
The DC has also complained about Sahjanand Sharma, who is an additional collector and mica inspector of Koderma and Giridih areas. According to him, Sharma neglects his official duties, as he is more interested in reaping “profits” from the mica belts. The present DDC Banaras Pandey has also been accused of neglecting his duties. The officer who has been shifted to Bihar has been described as one who is “always in a rush to go home”.
The letter also mentions a Panchayati Raj officer of Koderma who has not been transferred for years despite several complaints against him. The officer is in charge of land acquisition, treasury, and general administration and certificate cases.
The DC has alleged that three officers who have political connections have not been removed from office despite charges of corruption levelled against them.
