Two Bihar cops held in Jharkhand
VICTIM AMIT SINGH HAD BEEN LODGED AT PATNA’S BEUR JAIL WHERE HE WAS SERVING HIS TERM; WAS TAKEN TO DEOGHAR COURT IN ANOTHER CASE
PATNA: Two policemen from Bihar, including a sub-inspector (SI), were arrested in Jharkhand on Friday in connection with the murder of a convicted prisoner on the premises of Deoghar court on June 18, police said.
The convict, Amit Singh, was shot dead while he was waiting to meet his lawyer at his office inside Deoghar court complex after appearing before the court in connection with abduction of a trader in 2012.
The arrested policemen, identified as SI Ram Awtar Ram and constable Mohammad Tabis Khan, were part of the five-member escort team of Singh which had brought him to Deoghar from Beur Central Jail in Patna, where the convict had been lodged. The other three policemen have been detained for questioning.
Deoghar superintendent of police (SP) Subhash Chandra Jat said, “During preliminary investigation, role of five Bihar policemen are under scanner. Two of them have been arrested on conspiracy and dereliction of duty charges.”
Police said that following the murder incident, the arrested SI had himself registered a complaint against the unidentified criminals with the Town police station in Deoghar. In his complaint, the SI stated that he, along with four constables, took Amit Singh from Beur Central Jail and reached Jasidih railway station on a train without any valid travel/reservation tickets.
During investigation, police found Amit Singh was produced before the court without handcuff and the escort party failed to keep him in the court lock-up. Investigations also revealed that the prisoner reached Jharkhand on a luxury car with his girlfriend and stayed in the house of a forest official. “The call detail record (CDR) of arrested constable Md Tabis shows he talked with an undertrial prisoner of Beur Central Jail in Patna, Manik, around 7.45 am on June 18 through Whatsapp call,” said a police official who is the part of investigating team.
Manik is also lodged in Beur Central Jail and is said to be a rival of Amit Singh.
So far, Deoghar police have detained 11 people, including three policemen, for interrogation and have seized five cellphones and three luxury cars used for travel to Deoghar from Patna illegally, police sources said.
Meanwhile Patna SSP Manavjit Singh Dhillon on Saturday told HT that all the five policemen who escorted the prisoner have been suspended for dereliction of duty. “The Jharkhand high court has also taken cognizance against the additional district judge of Deoghar court for not issuing proper custody warrant against the accused,” Dhillon said, adding that Amit Singh was brought to Jharkhand on a private car as the train movement was blocked by army aspirants’ agitation. .