Murders: Killers adopted same modus operandi

SAME MODUS operandi adopted by the killers in three successive murders in the riot-torn Aligarh has baffled the police and security agencies. There are striking similarities in the murder of three traders?Raju, Raman and OP Gupta alias Lala. All of them were shot dead around 9 pm near their shops when they were going back home after closing their respective business establishments on May 19, May 23 and on May 28.

SAME MODUS operandi adopted by the killers in three successive murders in the riot-torn Aligarh has baffled the police and security agencies.

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There are striking similarities in the murder of three traders—Raju, Raman and OP Gupta alias Lala. All of them were shot dead around 9 pm near their shops when they were going back home after closing their respective business establishments on May 19, May 23 and on May 28.

A country-made pistol was used in all three murders and they were shot in the temple and they died on the spot.

In all the three cases, according to eyewitnesses, there were three killers and on all the three occasions they had used a motorcycle to reach on the spot and to escape from the scene.

The deceased were the local BJP leaders and said to be actively involved in the last Aligarh riots and two of them were even arrested and sent to jail for their alleged involvement in communal clashes.

The investigating agencies are now probing possibilities of involvement of some hired and outside killers who were targeting a particular community to settle scores and to disturb communal harmony in Aligarh.

The possibility of involvement of some sharp shooters of a terrorist outfit has also not been ruled out.

A STF team has already reached Aligarh to investigate the killings while the local police were probing the three murders independently.