Man wanted in DTC driver murder case held from Jharkhand

New Delhi, Jul 16 (IANS): A sharpshooter who was hired to kill a DTC bus driver in the national capital on the directions of the deceased’s current and former wife, has been arrested from Jharkhand’s Maoist-infested area, an official said on Saturday.

The current and former wives of the 45-year-old DTC bus driver Sanjiv Kumar conspired for three years and finally got him murdered with the help of a sharpshooter, identified as Nayum Ansari.

Following the DTC bus driver’s murder, three accused — his wife Geeta Devi aka Najma, 28; Former wife Geeta, 42, and her daughter Komal, 21, were arrested.

After cracking the sensational murder case, the police found out that Ansari had escaped from Delhi, and suspected he might have reached either to his native place in Jharkhand’s Godda district or his work place in Valsad, Gujarat.

On the basis of surveillance of mobile phones, it was ascertained that the accused was present in Godda.

A police team immediately swung into action and proceeded to Godda, Jharkhand.

“The team deployed local sources near the village of Ansari, mounted technical surveillance and collected local information with the help of local police and succeeded in getting two mobile numbers belonging to the accused but they were found switched off since July 10,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (south east) Esha Pandey said.

Thereafter, a raid was conducted at his residence but he was not found there.

The family members were questioned at length but no purpose was solved, the DCP said.

Notably, Godda district, especially the village of the accused and nearby area belonged to one tribal community.

The area is known for Maoist activities where even the local police avoid conducting raids as there is history of many incidents of attack on police teams.

The Delhi Police team kept surveillance on the entry and exit ways of Nayum’s village Jamuni Paharpur to extract any clue about the accused Nayum.

“On July 12, an information was received that accused Nayum is staying in the village of his in-laws ie, Bassbhita, Jharkhand. The team immediately conducted a raid but the accused fled away before they could reach but the team succeeded in getting a mobile number of one Shabbir Ansari along with whom Nayum left Bassbhita,” DCP Pandey said.

“The police team conducted raids at 4-5 houses of tribals and ultimately apprehended accused Nayum from the first floor of a house by climbing the roof of that house as the house was locked from inside. In the meantime, all the villagers gathered there and encompassed the raiding team,” the senior official said.

The official said that the tribals started opposing the apprehension of Nayum and blocked the exit and tried to get him free.

“The team members acted tactfully and drove away their cars in reverse mode to divert the gathering to another side. The villagers pelted stones on the car of the police team but the team succeeded in extracting Nayum from the deep rooted Maoist area without any casualty or untoward incident,” said the official.

The accused was taken on transit remand from the court in Jharkhand and was brought to Delhi.

On sustained questioning, Ansari revealed that he was hired by the former and current wife of the deceased through Ikbal Singh, cousin of Nazma aka Geeta for killing Sanjeev Kumar. He had received Rs 20,000 in his account which was transferred by Komal (daughter of Sanjeev Kumar).

He came to Delhi along with his friend Manish to eliminate Sanjeev. They used the bike of Manish’s cousin who lives in Lajpat Nagar.

On July 6, they followed Sanjeev from his house.

Ansari shot Sanjeev near Deepalaya School and fled.

Later, both went to their native places.