Double murder case: Bajrang Dal leader among six arrested
| Date :29-Jul-2023 |
Staff Reporter
Six history-sheeters, including a senior Bajrang Dal leader, were arrested by Nagpur rural police in a case of murder of two city businessmen on Friday. The traders were shot dead at a farmhouse in Kondhali after luring them with the promise of doubling their money through a ‘black to white’ money exchange trap. The deceased businessmen, Niralakumar Jaiprakash Singh (43), a resident of Plot No, 42, Prasad Apartment, H B Town, and Amrish Deodutt Gole (41), a resident of Flat No. 102, Narkesari Layout, Jaiprakash Nagar, went missing on Tuesday. Their families filed complaints with the Sitabuldi and Sonegaon police stations respectively. However, it wasn’t until Thursday that the gruesome murder came to light when the Talegaon police discovered a half-burnt body, later identified as Niralakumar’s.
The investigations quickly led to the arrest of the accused persons: Harsh Anandilal Verma (22), a resident of Plot No. 39, Khadgaon Road, Sonba Nagar; Danesh Durgaprasad Shivpeth (21), a resident of Godhni Road, Old Mankapur; Lucky Sanjay Turkel (22), a resident of Mariyam Nagar, Sitabuldi; Omkar Mahendra Talmale (25), a resident of Plot No. 54, Smruti Layout; Harsh Saudagar Bagde (19), a resident of Plot No. 37, Dattawadi, Wadi; and Vishal Pawankumar Punj (41), a resident of Plot No. 15/04, Mohan Nagar Badkas Chowk, Kotwali. Punj is Sah-Sanyojak (co-convenor) of Bajrang Dal Vidarbha. After murdering the two, the accused persons burned their bodies and later dumped them in the swollen Wardha river to cover-up their act. The crime came to light after Nagpur police, which were alerted about the sudden disappearance of the businesspersons, undertook intense searches to uncover the murders.
The mastermind of the gruesome act was identified as Omkar Talmale, who hails from a well-to-do family, but had fallen into debt due to his vices. To solve his financial problems, he concocted a plan to double his money quickly, enlisting the other accused as accomplices. A police official said that the victims were close friends of Talmale and Punj, who lured them into the deadly trap under the pretext of exchanging "black money" for "white money." The accused claimed to possess Rs. 2.80 crore in black money and offered to convert it into white money for a fee of Rs. 1.50 crore. The businessmen, enticed by the offer, agreed to the deal, the police said. The accused called Niralakumar and Gole at a cafe in Chitnavis Center to discuss the final details of the exchange. From there, they took the businessmen in a four-wheeler to Turkel's farmhouse at Ringnabodi village, Kondhali police station’s jurisdiction. Upon reaching the farmhouse, the accused executed their sinister plan, shooting Niralakumar and Gole point-blank with pistols. The victims died on the spot after suffering eight to ten gunshots each.
To cover their tracks, the perpetrators doused the bodies with petrol, setting them ablaze. Subsequently, they disposed of the bodies by dumping them into the Wardha River from a bridge on Amravati Road. The accused believed they had executed a foolproof plan, but a chance conversation with one of the victims' family members provided a crucial lead to the police. The families' concerns escalated when the businessmen did not return, and their phones remained switched off. Upon receiving the missing reports, the Sitabuldi police swiftly swung into action, reviewing CCTV footage, and piecing together the evidence that eventually cracked the case wide open. While Niralakumar's body was found by Talegaon police with the help of locals, the remains of Amrish Deodutt Gole were yet to be recovered at the time of reporting. Shockingly, after the crime, Talmale even deposited the Rs. 1.50 crore DD in his girlfriend's bank account. The arrested individuals have been handed over to Kondhali police for further investigations. The police produced the accused in the court and obtained their police custody till August 4.