Murder of Chandigarh-based taxi driver cracked in 32 hrs

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 12

The Khanna police today claimed to have cracked the sensational murder of a Chandigarh-based taxi driver, Ravi Kumar, who was found dead on a highway in Samrala early on Saturday morning.

The nabbed suspect was identified as Satpal (50), a resident of Ram Darbar, Chandigarh, while the deceased was also a resident of the area. Satpal was known to the family of the victim. Personal grudge of Satpal with the victim became the reason behind the murder.

The police also seized a .32 bore pistol with six cartridges and the Maruti Alto car of Ravi from the possession of the suspect.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Khanna, Ashwini Gotyal, while addressing a press conference said after the Khanna police came to know about the murder on the highway, six teams were formed, which conducted raids at various suspected whereabouts of the suspect.

“Since it was a blind murder case, our teams had identified the suspect within 24 hours and within 32 hours, he was arrested from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, where he was taking shelter. After the arrest of the man, the Maruti Alto car of the deceased, which was taken by the former, was seized from Dera Bassi,” he said.

The SSP said the suspect had a personal grudge with Ravi due to some woman known to both of them but nothing could be divulged further as it might hamper further probe. Satpal wanted to hold a discussion with the victim on the matter. He had himself booked the cab of Ravi and the former also took his nephew and niece along to Ludhiana. When they were returning home after spending some time in Ludhiana and having tea near the bus stand, they had arguments over the issue. When they reached near Samrala, the suspect and the victim got off the car while the former’s nephew and niece kept sitting in the bus.

“Both of them indulged in a scuffle on the highway. Following which, Satpal pointed a weapon at Ravi and fired a shot which hit the victim and he fell on the road. Considering him dead, the suspect along with his companions fled the scene in the deceased’s car. His nephew and niece witnessed the crime,” Gotyal said.

He said it was not a planned murder as Satpal wanted to injure the victim. He fired a bullet on the arm of Ravi but unfortunately the bullet hit his other body part and the victim succumbed to his injury.

Meanwhile, the SSP thanked the Ludhiana Commissioner of Police, the SSP, Chandigarh, and the Muzaffarnagar police for helping the Khanna police in various ways. Gotyal also congratulated the Khanna police team for spending sleepless nights to nab the killer.

SSP Ashwini Gotyal said Satpal had committed another murder in Muzaffarnagar and he spent 12 years in jail in the case. In February this year, he came out on bail. Besides, the suspect was also facing a theft case registered in Meerut and an assault case in Chandigarh.