Kangra police deny terror link in taxi hijack and murder case

DHARAMSHALA: Kangra Police on Thursday denied any terror link in the case of the murder of driver of a hijacked taxi.

The case had hit the headlines, when on January 22 the Delhi police had issued an alert suspecting that the people those who hijacked the taxi from Gaggal of Kangra and murdered its driver, had terror links.

“We have arrested two people in the case, while third is still at large,” said Kangra superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Gandhi, while addressing a press conference here.

The accused were identified as Kuljeet Singh and Purushotam, both resident of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir. “Efforts are on to arrest the absconding accused, Pawan, a resident of the same area,” Gandhi said.

“So far, we have not found any terror link in the case. The three are hardcore criminals and have over a dozen cases against them in different police station in Jammu and Kashmir,” Gandhi added. The district police chief said the accused were involved in crimes like burglary, theft, kidnapping attempt to murder and murder.

“One of the accused was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police in kidnapping and murder of a girl this month,” Gandhi said.

“During the investigation the J&K police found that the vehicle used in crime was same taxi that was hijacked from Gaggal,” Gandhi said, adding that Kangra police had shared the details of the stolen taxi with its J&K counterparts during an interstate police meet. Three people had hired a taxi from Gaggal on January 14. The white coloured Alto taxi was owned by Vijay Kumar, a resident of Gaggal, whose body was found in nullah on January 20, following which an alert was issued.

“It was a pre-planned crime. They hired the taxi with an objective to snatch the vehicle, strangulated the driver to death and fled to Jammu and Kashmir,” Gandhi said, adding that the accused even changed the number plate of the vehicle. Gandhi added that with the cooperation of the Jammu and Kashmir police the accused could be arrested.

KANGRA SP SANJEEV GANDHI SAYS TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN THE CASE, WHILE THE THIRD ONE IS ABSCONDING