MLA son grilled for murder

Jharia MLA Kunti Singh’s son Sanjeev Singh arrives in Dhanbad police station on Sunday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Sept. 16: A trade union leader who was named accused in the sensational murder of Congress leader Suresh Singh in the coal capital last year was today summoned and interrogated by Dhanbad police, six days after his dramatic surrender in connection with an 2009 election related offence.

Jharia BJP MLA Kunti Singh’s son Sanjeev Singh arrived at Dhanbad police station, accompanied by over 100 supporters, around 12 noon. He was questioned till late in the evening.

Dhanbad DSP (law and order) Sanjay Ranjan Singh, who arrived at the police station around 1pm to question Sanjeev, refused to divulge details. He said, “As the matter is under investigation, it will not be proper to give details.”

Inspector-general of police (Bokaro range) Murari Lal Meena, who was also in Dhanbad, added that Sanjeev Singh was named as a conspirator and that he was not present at the site of the murder. He was being questioned to get details about the murder, Meena said.

Suresh Singh, a coal trader and the district treasurer of the Congress, was killed during the wedding reception of hotelier Nunu Singh’s son at Dhanbad Club amid the presence of over 100 guests on December 7, 2011.

Sanjeev, who was missing since the murder, surrendered before the court of first class judicial magistrate Brij Kishor Pandey on September 10 regarding poll related offences.

Tej Narayan Singh, the father of Suresh Singh, in an FIR lodged before Dhanbad police on December 8, 2011, had named Sashi Singh, the nephew of Kunti Singh, as the prime accused. Sashi’s father Ramadhir Singh, a trade union leader, and Sanjeev were also named in the FIR.

Sanjeev, who is also the general secretary of Janta Mazdoor Sangh that is affiliated to Hind Mazdoor Sabha, arrived before police two days after he was served a notice by the investigation officer in the case, Ravi Thakur.

Stepping out of his SUV, he headed straight for the office of the OC Vijay Kant Singh. His supporters and mediapersons were not allowed entry.

On September 10, he had told reporters that he was away due to an eye operation and was unaware of the murder of Suresh Singh. He had added that he had not been issued any warrant, promising to co-operate with the police if they sought any information.

Meanwhile, Sashi Singh is absconding since the murder. Police had attached his property earlier this year and raided several areas in Dhanbad and his ancestral place at Balia in Uttar Pradesh, where his father is the chairman of the district board.