FORMER BOARD MEMBER’S MURDER CASE: TWO PICKED UP FOR PROBE

The Naurangiya police Monday evening picked up two people for interrogation in connection with the murder case of former district board member Dayanand Verma. Previously, JD-U leader and Valmiki Nagar legislator Dhirendra Prarap Singh, alias Rinku Singh, was also named an accused in the case.

Confirming the same, Bagaha SP Kiran Kumar Gorakh Jadhav said on Tuesday, “The main accused involved in the incident has been identified and raids are being conducted at different locations, including outside the district to nab him. Things will be more clear once the main accused is arrested.”

Refusing to disclose the identity of those taken into custody, he said, “Interrogations are underway.”

However, as per police sources the duo was identified as Najrul Hasan, a resident of Valmiki Nagar and Rakesh Jaiswal who hails from Bhariyani village near Valmiki Nagar.

A resident of Gandak Colony in Bettiah, Dayanand Verma was gunned down at Sirisiya Chowk under Naurangiya police station on Sunday around 7.15pm. Deceased’s wife Kumud Verma named three people — contractor Md. Shakeel, Bablu Jaiswal and JD-U legislator Dhirendra Pratap Singh in her complaint to the police. Police are clueless about the whereabouts of the MLA.

As per information, Dayanand Verma and Md. Shakeel were vying for a contract work, tender for which was floated recently. “Verma was being pressured to withdraw his bid which led to frequent altercation between him and others,” said a source.

“Prima facie, a dispute over contract work appears to be the reason behind the murder,” the SP said.

Police have registered a case against three people, including the JD-U MLA under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act.