SIT recovers 2 more pistols from accused

ROHTAK: The special investigation team (SIT) of Rohtak police has recovered two more pistols from the wrestling coach, Sukhvinder, who had allegedly gunned down six persons at Jat College’s wrestling arena on February 12. With this, the total number of weapons recovered from the accused has climbed to three.

A SIT member, on the condition of anonymity, said that the remand period of the accused has been extended to five more days. “We have also arrested Sukhvinder’s friend, Manoj Kumar, who is a resident of Uttar Pradesh and had provided him the weapons,” the official said. He added that Manoj Kumar is currently undergoing treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and will be interrogated soon to extract more evidence against the main accused.

The SIT member also revealed that the accused, Sukhvinder, is continuously changing his statements during interrogation.On Friday, the family members of the victims had demanded a

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.

Rohtak superintendent of police (SP) Rahul Sharma said he has written to the district and sessions court judge to move the case into a fast-track court. “We have sent the clothes worn by the accused during crime to a forensic lab to see if the blood on his clothes matches with that of the victims. We have started a speedy probe and will demand strict punishment for the accused,” the SP added.

A SIT member had earlier revealed that Sukhvinder first killed coach Pradeep Malik and then proceeded to kill coaches Manoj Kumar, Satish Dalal, Manoj’s wife Sakshi and national-level wrestler Pooja. He allegedly killed the three coaches in one room and the two women in another and locked the gates. “After shooting five people dead, Sukhvinder brought Manoj and Sakshi’s three-year-old son, who was playing with his cousin on the ground floor, to the room where his mother and Pooja were killed and shot him in the head,” the official said.

The child had succumbed to his injuries during treatment at the hospital.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two Lashkar-eToiba associates from Bandipore on Saturday. A police spokesperson said they arrested two terrorist associates, Abid Waza of Bandipora and Bashir Ahmad Gojer of Malangam Bandipora, who were linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials from their possession.

“Acting on specific inputs, Bandipora police along with 14RR and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) established a joint checkpoint near Papachan Bandipora Bridge and apprehended two terrorist associates linked with proscribed terrorist outfit LeT,” the spokesman said.

“They were involved in providing shelter, logistic and other support to the active terrorists in the area. Besides, they were tasked by their handlers to carry grenade attacks on security forces in Bandipora,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the two live hand grenades had been recovered from their possession.

“All recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and action.”