Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad police Thursday arrested another suspect in connection with murder of Bharatiya Janata Party leader BS Tomar, who was gunned down by assailants in Dasna on the night of July 20.
The police said the suspect, Haji Arif, is the husband of the Dasna nagar panchayat chairperson Hajjan Hansar. He has been booked for criminal conspiracy. The police have so far arrested 11 persons in connection with the murder.
Hansar had won the 2017 local body elections on a ticket from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Party.
“Arif was arrested and booked for criminal conspiracy. We had inputs that he is involved but there was no substantial evidence. It was after we took two suspects arrested in the case on remand from Delhi that we came to know of Arif’s involvement. We have got video, audio and electronic evidence against him and also statements of the two suspects,” Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural), said.
The two suspects — Salman and Arbaz— were arrested in Delhi for a different case. The Ghaziabad police maintained that the two got themselves arrested in Delhi after Tomar’s murder to evade arrest by the UP Police.
{{/usCountry}}The two suspects — Salman and Arbaz— were arrested in Delhi for a different case. The Ghaziabad police maintained that the two got themselves arrested in Delhi after Tomar’s murder to evade arrest by the UP Police.
{{/usCountry}}“Another local leader from Dasna, Mehtab Qureshi, was also named by Salman and Arbaz. They said both Arif and Qureshi wanted the group to get rid of Tomar who was growing in influence. Qureshi is on the run and he was part of the criminal conspiracy,” Jadaun said.
Tomar’s murder, according to police, was the fallout of an incident in July, wherein a 17-year-old boy from a different community had eloped with a 13-year-old girl from his neighbourhood. It is alleged that Tomar was openly favouring the boy’s family and this created resentment among the girl’s family and members of their community. The girl’s father is lodged at Rohini jail in Delhi in connection with a robbery case.
He had come out on parole twice in July and had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to murder Tomar, police said.
It is alleged that on the night of July 20, the girl’s brother along with other relatives arrived at a paan shop where Tomar was standing and shot him dead. The Ghaziabad police has arrested 11 persons, including the girl’s mother and relatives, while her brother surrendered before a Ghaziabad court.
Arif’s brother Ashif denied charges against his brother. “My brother was never involved in any conspiracy and has been falsely implicated in the case by the police. He has a property business and was also helping out his wife in carrying out works in her area,” he said.