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Abohar bizman’s murder: Incomplete paperwork delays post-mortem of 2 suspects killed in police encounter
On Tuesday, just hours after their arrest the two suspects, both residents of Patiala, were killed in an encounter when their accomplices opened fire at a police team that was taking the duo for weapon recovery.
The post-mortem of Ram Rattan and Jaspreet Singh, the two suspects who were killed hours after their arrest in a police encounter in connection with the broad daylight murder of an Abohar businessman, couldn’t be conducted on Wednesday due to procedural delays.
Abohar civil hospital senior medical officer Gagandeep Singh said: “The post-mortem could not be carried out as neither the families of the deceased came forward, nor were the mandatory documents submitted by the police. The bodies remain preserved in the hospital mortuary.”
On Tuesday, just hours after their arrest the two suspects, both residents of Patiala, were killed in an encounter when their accomplices opened fire at a police team that was taking the duo for weapon recovery.
According to Fazilka senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh, the post-mortem is now likely to be conducted on Thursday.
“Besides completing the required paperwork, the cops are waiting for the families to arrive,” he said.
Three unidentified assailants had shot dead a businessman, Sanjay Verma, 54, outside his showroom in Abohar town of Punjab’s border district of Fazilka at 10am on June 7.
After the encounter, Ferozepur Range deputy inspector general Harmanbir Singh Gill and Fazilka SSP Gurmeet Singh, in a video statement, said: “The two suspects, Ram Ratan and Jaspreet had given lift to the trio that gunned down Verma. The two confessed to hiding the murder weapon and the clothes of the three assailants at an isolated spot near Peer Tibba, around 1.5 km from Abohar. A police team took the accused to Peer Tibba for the recovery of evidence. However, their accomplices, who were already present at the location, opened fire at the police team. In the retaliatory action, both Ram Ratan and Jaspreet sustained gunshot injuries and later died.”
A .30-bore pistol was recovered from the encounter site.
A case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 103 (murder) along with Sections 25, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act.
Police said that they have identified one of the shooters as Shakti, a 24-year-old helper of a commission agent from Azamgarh village, based on CCTV footage. “Shakti, who has been missing since Saturday, was reportedly driving the motorcycle used in the crime. He was also reportedly involved in the buying and selling of old motorcycles. Shakti is among two unidentified were booked for the murder of Verma,” police said.
