Chakradharpur Bajrang Dal activist Kamaldev Giri murder case: Two arrested on the basis of CCTV footage, six still at large

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Nov 21: Two youths were arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of Kamaldev Giri, a Bajrang Dal activist. Police said that duo along with six others had killed Giri as part of a pre-planned conspiracy.

Gulzar Hussain (25), a resident of Simidiri village and Matiur Rehman (27) were arrested by officials of the 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was formed to probe the case. The Superintendent of Police, Ashutosh Shekhar, who was heading the SIT, said that Hussain and Rehman were arrested with help of the CCTV footage collected from various establishments and spots close to the scene of crime. Police said that both have confessed to their involvement in Giri’s murder.

Shekhar added that the main conspirators of the murder, Satish Pradhan, a resident of Kurulia village, and Zahid, are still at large along with four other accused who were involved in the killing of Giri. “Pradhan and Giri were at loggerheads since long and the murder was the result of this long-standing enmity. One of those arrested was at the scene of crime while two others were waiting on bike when the incident occurred,” Shekhar said.

The police said that Giri was killed over the festering enmity between the two. “Giri and Pradhan had locked horns over several issues in the past,” said Shekhar. The two local leaders were engaged in a fight for supremacy since long. Matters came to a pass when, police said, Pradhan plotted the murder of Giri.

Giri, who was the chief of Giriraj Sena, was killed in Chakradharpur when assailants hurled a crude bomb at him on November 12. Police said that three persons had approached Giri, who was standing with a friend close to the Bhawan Chowk. The assailants hurled a bomb at Giri and fled the spot. Giri died of the injuries he sustained in the blast. A team of FSL and a bomb disposal unit later visited the spot and collected evidence. With inputs from these teams the investigators zeroed in on the accused.

A day after the incident, violence had erupted in Chakradharpur as members of two groups clashed, despite prohibitory orders. The matter has turned political with statements being issued by BJP and JMM leaders. Independent MLA of East Singhbhum, Babulal Marandi had recently visited the home of the deceased to meet the grieving family members.

The SIT constituted to arrest Giri’s killers included DSP Kapil Chaudhary, Assistant Superintendent of Police Sumit Aggarwal, Chaibasa Sadar DSP Dilip Khalkho, Chakradharpur police station in-charge cum circle inspector Chandrashekhar Kumar, Sadar Circle Inspector Praveen Kumar, Noamundi Circle Inspector Virendra Kumar, Bandgaon Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Aamir Hamza, Police Sub-Inspector of Chakradharpur Police Station Vivek Pal and Vishwanath Kisku, Karaikela Police Sub-Inspector Sushil Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Singh of Jagannathpur Police Station, Karunakar Tiwari of Noamundi Police Station, officials of the Technical Branch, and officials of the Superintendent of Police Office in Chaibasa.