Six shooters executed Vibhuti Khand killing; 2nd one arrested
LUCKNOW : Six shooters were present at the crime scene when Ajit Singh, henchman of mafioso-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was shot dead near Kathauta crossing, in Vibhuti Khand while his accomplice Mohar Singh was injured, senior police officials said while addressing media person here on Thursday after the arrest of one of the shooters.
A senior police official privy to the investigation said there were two teams of shooters, with one being the backup in case the first team failed or faced any problem in executing the crime.
Lucknow joint commissioner of police (JCP), law and order, Neelbja Choudhury said the arrested shooter was identified as Sandip Singh alias Baba, 42, who is a listed history-sheeter of Chanduali district and wanted in a 2006 murder case of Kerakat in Jaunpur. He said a reward of ₹10,000 was declared on Baba in the same case in 2018 and that he has a long criminal record since 1998 with 15 criminal cases, including four murders and two attempt to murder, registered against him. Choudhury said Baba was arrested from his Ambedkarnagar hideout where he had reached by a roadways bus after executing the crime in Vibhuti Khand.
He said during interrogation Baba revealed that Ajit Singh’s killing was done at the behest of two jailed gangsters Dhruv Kumar Singh alias Kuntoo Singh and Akhand Singh.
He further said Ajit was key witness against Kuntoo Singh in the murder case of former MLA Sarvesh Singh alias Sipu Singh of Azamgarh in 2013. He said Ajit was gunned down as he refused to turn hostile in the case despite multiple threats.
“Other than Baba, five others including Kanhaiya Vishwakarma alias Girdhari Sharma, Ravi Yadav, Shivendra Singh alias Ankur, Bunty alias Viru alias Mustafa and Rajesh Tomar alias Jai were present at the crime scene. One of their facilitators named Bandhan was present at some distance from the spot in a car, which was later used by four shooters to reach a flat in Alakhnanda Apartments in Gomti Nagar Extension,” Choudhury said and added, “One pistol and five cartridges have been recovered from the flat on revelation made by Baba.”
The JCP said one of shooters Rajesh Tomar had suffered bullet wound in retaliatory firing by Ajit Singh’s accomplice Mohar Singh and was initially treated at same flat by a Lucknow doctor with the help of Vipul Kumar Singh (now named facilitator) and was later taken to a Sultanpur hospital for treatment.
Another police official said the four shooters executed the crime while two shooters remained present at some distance from the spot as a backup team. “The main shooter Girdhari Sharma and Ravi Yadav had left separately on two-wheelers after the incident while the four others reached the bus stand and later escaped in the car driven by Bandhan.