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Politician, 3 others hatched conspiracy to kill Hardoi lawyer: Police
Hardoi SP Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said conspiracy was hatched following a dispute with the lawyer over vacating the property where he was living
Former Hardoi district unit chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and three others had hatched the conspiracy to kill Hardoi lawyer Kanishk Mehrotra, said senior police officials here on Saturday. Mehrotra, a senior criminal lawyer, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants who entered his chamber at his residence in Hardoi city posing as clients on Tuesday (July 30) evening.
Hardoi SP, Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said all four accused namely former SP district president Virendra Yadav alias Veere Yadav, builder Aditya Bhan Singh, hotelier Shikhar Gupta and contractor Nripendra Tripathi had consensually hired a contractor Ram Sewak alias Lalla to execute the murder in return of ₹4 lakh promised by the conspirators. Lalla later roped in Neeraj and Rajveer.
He said Veere Yadav and Aditya Bhan were familiar with Ram Sewak. Jadaun said Ram Sewak and Neeraj went inside the lawyer’s chamber and Ram Sewak shot him while Rajveer was standing outside with a motorcycle. He said Ram Sewak even informed Aditya Bhan before and after executing the crime.
He said the bike used in the crime was also provided by Aditya Bhan. As per the cop, one of the three executors, Neeraj, was arrested after a police encounter during which he was shot in his leg early on Friday. The official said the four conspirators were arrested from their houses on Friday after the arrested accused Neeraj revealed the entire conspiracy during police interrogation.
He said the conspiracy was hatched following a dispute with the lawyer over vacating the property where he was living. The cop said the four conspirators had purchased the bungalow located at a prime location in Hardoi which was in possession of the lawyer and they had been trying to get it vacated for the past 11 years.
Jadaun said the police teams are further making efforts to arrest two other executors who were found missing from the houses. Notably, the lawyer was shot in the temple from a very close range and he succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to KGMU trauma centre of Lucknow on Tuesday night.
