Jamshedpur, April 30: Thirty-two-year-old Joginder Singh, alias Bittu, was killed under mysterious condition near the Indian Cable Company under Golmuri police station area this afternoon.

Local residents rushed Singh, a resident of Namda Bustee, to Tata Main Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The victim was shot in the head.

Sources said Singh was shot dead when he, along with three of his accomplices, was allegedly trying to break into the company premises by dismantling a portion of the boundary wall. Another accused, Manoj Kumar who was also on the spot, escaped with splinter injuries.

Initially, Kumar told the police that he was ignorant about the assailant, giving the impression that the deceased might have fallen victim to a bullet fired by the company security guards.

But on being interrogated, Kumar divulged that the bullet that killed Joginder was fired by one of the members of their gang.

Deputy superintendent of police (city) Madhusudan Bari said: “The accused Manoj Kumar confessed everything and also showed us exactly how Singh was killed.”

Quoting Kumar, Bari said Joginder Singh, Manoj Kumar and two others had entered the Indian Cable Company premises to commit theft and in the process, the gang was nabbed red-handed by the company guards.

But somehow they managed to wriggle out of their grasp and started fleeing, with the security guards on their heels. Just then, a gang member fired a shot at the guard, but the shot accidentally hit Singh.

“The rest of the gang members somehow managed to run out of the company premises and rush Singh to Tata Main Hospital, where he was declared brought dead,” said Bari.

According to the police, the iron and brass materials that Singh and his gang had stolen from Indian Cable Company has also been recovered at the instance of Kumar. Singh was a history-sheeter and had already served five terms in jail.

Sources said Singh and his associates had first consumed liquor from an illegal liquor den and subsequently, entered the cable company premises.

The sources added that the police were keeping a track of the activities of Singh and his gang and had even warned him to refrain from committing iron thefts from companies in Golmuri.

Despite that Singh and his gang tried to burgle the cable company.

The police have registered a case in this connection and have sent the body for post-mortem to MGM Medical College and Hospital. Investigations are on.