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Two of five accused held for Ferozepur RSS activist’s murder
Ferozepur SSP says conspiracy to kill Naveen Arora, 32, was hatched on November 13 during a birthday party; weapon sourced from UP, motive of murder yet to be ascertained.
Four days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member Naveen Arora, 32, was shot dead in Ferozepur district, police on Wednesday said they had arrested two of the five men involved in plotting and executing the killing on November 15.
Naveen, the son of RSS activist and social worker Baldev Raj Arora and grandson of RSS leader Dina Nath, was riding a motorcycle when the accused, who were on foot, stopped him midway and shot him in the head. Naveen was returning from his shop in the main bazaar to his house near Sadhu Chand Chowk around 7pm when the incident occurred. He was rushed to a nearby hospital by family members, but was declared brought dead.
Addressing a press conference in Ferozepur, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Bhupinder Singh Sidhu said that the investigation had uncovered “a chilling and meticulously planned” sequence of events that led to the killing. Sidhu, however, said the motive of the killing was yet to be ascertained.
The conspiracy, according to Sidhu, was hatched on November 13 during the birthday party of a youngster, identified as Kanav at the local Basti Bhatian Wali. It was there, the SSP said, that Jatin Kali of Badhi Jaimal Singh village masterminded the plan and offered ₹1 lakh to Kanav, Badal, Harsh and another suspect whose identity the police have withheld to prevent any compromise to the probe.
Before the murder, the accused travelled to Uttar Pradesh to procure weapons and closely observed Naveen Arora’s routine.
“To ensure a foolproof attack, two teams were formed — one of Kanav and Harsh, and the other of Badal and his accomplice — so that if Naveen altered his route to return home, the second team could execute the hit,” the SSP said.
On Saturday evening, Badal and his accomplice fired at Naveen, while Jatin arrived moments later in an auto-rickshaw and took all four accused to Kanav’s house from where they fled.
Sidhu said Kanav and Harsh have been arrested, and efforts are on to trace the three other accused.
The weapon used in the crime is yet to be recovered.
“It is evident that Jatin, who often stayed at his mother’s house in Basti Bhatian Wali, masterminded the conspiracy. However, the motive remains unclear. We are examining every angle — including the claim by a terror outfit, which appears dubious — to identify the trigger behind the killing,” he said.
A little known pro-Khalistan outfit, Sher-e-Punjab Brigade, had taken responsibility for the killing by issuing a statement on social media on Monday.
On Tuesday, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar met the Arora family and criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government for its failure to maintain law and order.
