Noida: Three suspects held over property dealer killing

Last week, police had also arrested two others, including the brother of the prime suspect, for hatching the entire plot for ₹2 crore

Noida: The Noida Police on Sunday arrested three people, including prime suspect Neeraj Gupta, for allegedly killing a 50-year-old property dealer near Sector 137 Metro station on September 15. They were nabbed from the Knowledge Park area, officers said.

On Sunday, during interrogation,it was revealed that Neeraj Gupta had hired Brijpal and Ramveer to kill Jha. They struck the deal at ₹5 lakh and were paid ₹3 lakh in advance. Their accommodation was also arranged at a hotel in Noida. (HT Photo)

“The suspects were identified as Neeraj Gupta, 45, a resident of Khoda in Ghaziabad; Brijpal and a resident of Bijnor; and Ramveer, aka Gadal, 46, a resident of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh (both single names),” said Shakti Mohan Avasthy, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Central Noida.

Last week, police had also arrested two others, including the brother of the prime suspect, for hatching the entire plot for ₹2 crore.

On September 15, Navendra Kumar Jha, a property dealer and resident of Sector 92, Noida, was shot at near Metro station. He suffered a bullet injury above the right ear to his head. At the hospital, the doctors declared him dead on arrival and alerted police.

Officers said Neeraj had called Jha to meet near the Metro station to discuss a property dispute that is under trial.

After years of dispute, it was planned that in case things go wrong during discussion on September 15, Jha should be killed. “When the issue escalated, a man accompanying the suspects allegedly shot him (Jha) down from behind while he was heading to the washroom, and they fled the scene,” said a senior police officer.

On September 17, police arrested two suspects -- Shakti Kumar Giri, 52, a resident of Govindpuri in Delhi, and Rajesh Kumar Gupta, 55, a resident of Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, for hatching the conspiracy with Neeraj.

“On Sunday, during interrogation,it was revealed that Neeraj Gupta had hired Brijpal and Ramveer to kill Jha. They struck the deal at ₹5 lakh and were paid ₹3 lakh in advance. Their accommodation was also arranged at a hotel in Noida. The shooters also did recce in the area before committing the crime,” the DCP said, adding that Neeraj also provided them a scooter to flee the crime scene after the murder.

Investigation revealed that Neeraj had also hired the same shooters for a murder in Ghaziabad in 2014. “After 10 years, he approached them again to kill Jha. We have recovered the scooter and weapon used in the crime,” the officer added.

Following a complaint by Jha’s son, a case under section 103(1) (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at Sector 142 police station on September 15 against all the suspects.