‘Contract to kill Bharadwaj was given in Panipat’
3 April 2013 6:35 AM IST
During interrogation on Tuesday, Purushottam alias Monu, the contract killer who had been allegedly hired to murder BSP leader Deepak Bharadwaj (62), told the police that the contract had been given to him in Haryana's Panipat. He also revealed that the planning for the killing had begun early this year. Police also said that the killers were promised Rs.1 crore to eliminate Bharadwaj.
According to sources, Purushottam was contacted by Rakesh Malik, a pilot against whom a look-out notice has been issued. Malik allegedly approached him and gave him initial information about the murder contract and said that he would receive a good sum of money for the same. 'Malik took me along in his car to Panipat and made me meet someone called Mahant. I met Mahant at the Sant Samellan that was on at the time. During my first meeting with Mahant, he asked me to kill Bharadwaj. I did not know Bharadwaj then,' Purushottam was quoted as saying during the interrogation.
The source said that Mahant had done all the planning including – 'how' and 'when' the crime was to be committed. When the duo (Purushottam and Malik) came back to Delhi, Malik gave him some advance money to plan the murder.
Purushottam told the police, 'The planning took more than two months. In the mean time for two months we arranged the weapon, another shooter and a car. We also did a recce of the area near NH-8, where the farmhouse is located.' The source said that raids are on in Uttarakhand, Mathura and Delhi, for further investigations in the case. 'It is suspected that three or four family members are involved in giving the contract to kill Bharadwaj,' the official added. On Tuesday, the name of someone called Raju cropped up, as the one who allegedly supplied weapons that were used in the shoot-out. 'A man-hunt is on to trace Raju as per the description given by the shooter. Look-out notices have also been issued against Malik and Mahant,' he added.
Police probe has revealed that Purushottam had links with the notorious Neeraj Bawana criminal gang. Neeraj had allegedly made an extortion call to Jaswant Rana, an MLA from Najafgarh. He has been charged mainly for extortion, attempt to murder and various other cases under the Arms Act.
The official invesitigating the matter said, 'late on Monday night, Hitesh (Bharadwaj's son) was detained by Delhi police for an intense interrogation. After a questioning that carried on for eight hours at the Vasant Vihar police station, Hitesh was released on Tuesday morning.'
Another name, that of Aanand Swami, who was reportedly Bharadwaj's spiritual guru has cropped up in the list of suspects. Swami stays in Mumbai and has been called to the the capital on Thursday to join the interrogation.
WHY DELHI POLICE IS STILL CLUELESS IN BSP LEADER'S MURDER CASE
Even after a week of investigation in BSP leader-Deepak Bharadwaj's murder case, Delhi police has failed to trace the main conspirators behind the crime. Though many theories have cropped up to explain the motive behind the murder, including illicit relationship, property dispute and business rivalry, the cops are yet to reach a decision in the case.
Despite approximately 76 people having been questioned, including Bharadwaj's family (his wife Ramesh Kumari and sons Nitesh and Hitesh), officials are yet to nab the main perpetrators of the 26 March shoot out.
The two main accused, who are alleged to be the shooters, identified as Purushottam Rana alias Monu and Sunil Mann alias Sonu, are constantly changing their statements during the interrogation.
They are changing their version of the events with every question. Even though we have cross-questioned them, they all are constantly giving contradictory statements. We are however, probing each and every statement,' an official investigating the matter said.
Delhi police has also failed to recover the weapons used in the shoot-out, despite all four accused including main shooters, Amit (the driver of the car use by the killers) and Rakesh (the owner of the car) being in police custody. The police is trying to save face by revealing different theories that are emerging during daily investigations.
ACCUSED REFUSE TEST IDENTIFICATION PARADE
Three accused, arrested for their alleged roles in the killing of BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj, refused to undergo the test identification parade (TIP) in a Delhi court on Tuesday. The accused, including Sunil Mann (26) and Purushottam Rana (30), who had allegedly shot dead the 62-year-old Bhardwaj on 26 March in his farmhouse in south Delhi's Rajokri area, were produced before metropolitan magistrate (MM) Prashant Sharma.
During the proceedings, the Delhi police moved an application seeking their TIP, but the accused refused, claiming that the police had already clicked their photographs.
The court, however, told them, 'You know that refusal to undergo TIP will go against you in the proceedings later on', but the three accused maintained their stand. Earlier, when the three were produced before MM Sharma, Mann's advocate JP Singh had moved an application saying his client be medically examined every 12 hours and the counsel should be allowed to meet him also every 12 hours. The public prosecutor, however, opposed the plea saying it will not be feasible.
The court sent the three men to 10 days police custody. Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma sent Sunil Mann, Purushottam Rana and Amit to police custody till 12 April for questioning.
According to sources, Purushottam was contacted by Rakesh Malik, a pilot against whom a look-out notice has been issued. Malik allegedly approached him and gave him initial information about the murder contract and said that he would receive a good sum of money for the same. 'Malik took me along in his car to Panipat and made me meet someone called Mahant. I met Mahant at the Sant Samellan that was on at the time. During my first meeting with Mahant, he asked me to kill Bharadwaj. I did not know Bharadwaj then,' Purushottam was quoted as saying during the interrogation.
The source said that Mahant had done all the planning including – 'how' and 'when' the crime was to be committed. When the duo (Purushottam and Malik) came back to Delhi, Malik gave him some advance money to plan the murder.
Purushottam told the police, 'The planning took more than two months. In the mean time for two months we arranged the weapon, another shooter and a car. We also did a recce of the area near NH-8, where the farmhouse is located.' The source said that raids are on in Uttarakhand, Mathura and Delhi, for further investigations in the case. 'It is suspected that three or four family members are involved in giving the contract to kill Bharadwaj,' the official added. On Tuesday, the name of someone called Raju cropped up, as the one who allegedly supplied weapons that were used in the shoot-out. 'A man-hunt is on to trace Raju as per the description given by the shooter. Look-out notices have also been issued against Malik and Mahant,' he added.
Police probe has revealed that Purushottam had links with the notorious Neeraj Bawana criminal gang. Neeraj had allegedly made an extortion call to Jaswant Rana, an MLA from Najafgarh. He has been charged mainly for extortion, attempt to murder and various other cases under the Arms Act.
The official invesitigating the matter said, 'late on Monday night, Hitesh (Bharadwaj's son) was detained by Delhi police for an intense interrogation. After a questioning that carried on for eight hours at the Vasant Vihar police station, Hitesh was released on Tuesday morning.'
Another name, that of Aanand Swami, who was reportedly Bharadwaj's spiritual guru has cropped up in the list of suspects. Swami stays in Mumbai and has been called to the the capital on Thursday to join the interrogation.
WHY DELHI POLICE IS STILL CLUELESS IN BSP LEADER'S MURDER CASE
Even after a week of investigation in BSP leader-Deepak Bharadwaj's murder case, Delhi police has failed to trace the main conspirators behind the crime. Though many theories have cropped up to explain the motive behind the murder, including illicit relationship, property dispute and business rivalry, the cops are yet to reach a decision in the case.
Despite approximately 76 people having been questioned, including Bharadwaj's family (his wife Ramesh Kumari and sons Nitesh and Hitesh), officials are yet to nab the main perpetrators of the 26 March shoot out.
The two main accused, who are alleged to be the shooters, identified as Purushottam Rana alias Monu and Sunil Mann alias Sonu, are constantly changing their statements during the interrogation.
They are changing their version of the events with every question. Even though we have cross-questioned them, they all are constantly giving contradictory statements. We are however, probing each and every statement,' an official investigating the matter said.
Delhi police has also failed to recover the weapons used in the shoot-out, despite all four accused including main shooters, Amit (the driver of the car use by the killers) and Rakesh (the owner of the car) being in police custody. The police is trying to save face by revealing different theories that are emerging during daily investigations.
ACCUSED REFUSE TEST IDENTIFICATION PARADE
Three accused, arrested for their alleged roles in the killing of BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj, refused to undergo the test identification parade (TIP) in a Delhi court on Tuesday. The accused, including Sunil Mann (26) and Purushottam Rana (30), who had allegedly shot dead the 62-year-old Bhardwaj on 26 March in his farmhouse in south Delhi's Rajokri area, were produced before metropolitan magistrate (MM) Prashant Sharma.
During the proceedings, the Delhi police moved an application seeking their TIP, but the accused refused, claiming that the police had already clicked their photographs.
The court, however, told them, 'You know that refusal to undergo TIP will go against you in the proceedings later on', but the three accused maintained their stand. Earlier, when the three were produced before MM Sharma, Mann's advocate JP Singh had moved an application saying his client be medically examined every 12 hours and the counsel should be allowed to meet him also every 12 hours. The public prosecutor, however, opposed the plea saying it will not be feasible.
The court sent the three men to 10 days police custody. Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma sent Sunil Mann, Purushottam Rana and Amit to police custody till 12 April for questioning.
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