Singapore exec’s murder: Faridabad police custody of suspect extended by three days

Faridabad police public relations officer Yashpal Sharma confirmed the recovery of the two pistols and said police were verifying whether their serial numbers were registered against Mohan Sharma’s arms licence

A court on Tuesday extended the police custody of Mohan Sharma, accused of shooting dead his neighbour, Singapore-based executive Paramjith Dhankhar, by three days as investigators sought to recover the car allegedly used to flee the crime scene and probe the possible involvement of his family members in the murder.

Sharma was arrested from Dealer Chowk in Ballabgarh on Saturday, a day after Dhankhar, 43, was shot dead in the stilt parking area of a residential building in Sector 21C. He was initially remanded in police custody for two days on Sunday. Police sought an extension when his remand ended on Tuesday.

Investigators said a crime branch team recovered a .30-bore pistol and a magazine containing six cartridges from Samana in Punjab’s Patiala district on Monday, based on information provided by Sharma during interrogation.

Another pistol, of .45 bore, was recovered from the crime scene. Both weapons have been sent for forensic examination to establish which was used in the murder, police said.

A senior Faridabad police officer said investigators were yet to recover the car in which Sharma allegedly fled after shooting Dhankhar in the stilt parking area of house number 641 in Sector 21C on Friday night.

Police said Sharma had allegedly called Dhankhar downstairs on the pretext of asking him to move his car before shooting him.

“Besides, we need to also interrogate him thoroughly to ascertain if his wife and any other family knew that he was planning to murder Dhankhar as she, two children and Sharma’s brother are also accused in the case as co-conspirators,” the officer said.

Investigators said interrogation so far had indicated that the two families had been embroiled in a dispute for nearly three months over Sharma and his son allegedly allowing their newly purchased German Shepherd puppy to defecate in the stilt parking area. Dhankhar’s family had repeatedly objected to this, police said.

“No other motive being the murder had come to light yet,” the officer added.

Faridabad police public relations officer Yashpal Sharma confirmed the recovery of the two pistols and said police were verifying whether their serial numbers were registered against Mohan Sharma’s arms licence.

“The one of .30 bore was the murder weapon recovered from Patiala while other one was recovered from spot,” he said.