A professional assassin, who was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police last week in connection with the murder of Congress leader Niraj Singh, will be brought to Dhanbad and produced in court by Monday to facilitate interrogation.

Aman Singh, a native of Rajesultanpur, UP, was nabbed along with an aide by the Varanasi field unit of STF from Mirzapur district jail on May 3 when he went to meet an imprisoned criminal who is said to be one of the able lieutenants of jailed UP gangster Prem Prakash, alias Munna Bajrangi.

Sources in Dhanbad police said a team led by Saraidhela thana OC Niranjan Tiwari had reached Mirzapur on Saturday with a warrant to produce Aman in the court of chief judicial magistrate of Dhanbad. They are expected to return with the shooter on Sunday night. Police will seek his remand for questioning on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, the STF had cordoned Mirzapur jail where Aman and his aide Abhinav Singh went to meet Munna Bajrangi's right-hand man Rinku Singh. They were arrested with two pistols, live cartridges, six mobile phones and 11 SIM cards, a motorcycle and petty cash.

During interrogation by UP police, Aman is learnt to have confessed to his involvement in the Niraj Singh murder. The duo were produced in Mirzapur court on May 4 and forwarded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Former deputy mayor of Dhanbad NIraj, his personal assistant, a bodyguard and driver were killed by a hail of bullets at Saraidhela on March 21. Eight other persons - including Jharia MLA Sanjeev Singh - have been arrested in the case.

Sources said Aman had named the other three shooters as Vijay, Sonu and Satish, and said the contract to kill Niraj was given by Rinku Singh and Pankaj Singh, both loyal to Bajrangi who is currently lodged in Pilibhit jail. It is not clear if the jailed don has links with the Jharia MLA.

"Aman, in his statement to the STF, has revealed that Pankaj had provided him accommodation in Dhanbad and introduced him to the other shooters. Pankaj had armed him with a 9mm pistol and two magazines, besides giving him a bike," a source said.

Dhanbad SSP Manoj Ratan Chothe confirmed Aman's arrest. "A team is expected to bring him here from Mirzapur jail. We will present him in court tomorrow (Monday) and simultaneously seek police remand for interrogation," Chothe said.