Absconding Dewas ‘king’ held in 2015 murder case

VIKRAM SINGH Puar, the king of erstwhile princely state of Dewas who had disappeared after his coronation in July 2015, was finally arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a man over a land dispute in March 2015.

The 28-year-old was produced before a court in Dewas that sent him to judicial custody till January 7. From jail, he was immediately taken to a local hospital after he sought hospitalisation, citing incomplete treatment for a liver disease.

The police, who had all along insisted that they had made serious attempts to look for the abscondingaccused,claimedthathe was taken into custody from a hospitalaftertheygotatip-offthat he was undergoing treatment there. Vikram was among the 13 persons named in the murder of one Pratap Lodhi whose family was accused of encroaching on a piece of agriculture land belongingtoaroyaltrustnearraghogarh village, about 40 km from Dewas.

It was alleged that Vikram led his men to the disputed land and a fight ensued with Pratap and his family members, who were harvesting wheat. Pratap sustained serious head injuries and died a few days later.

While Vikram remained at large, the remaining 12 accused faced trial and were acquitted on December 17 after all the witnesses, including two police officials and the injured relatives of Pratap,turnedhostile,sayingthey couldnotidentifytheaccusedbecausetheyhadmuffledtheirfaces.