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Key accused arrested in Sainthali double murder case
The accused was wanted in connection with the October 20 murder of Ajaypal Bhati and his nephew Dipanshu Bhati in Sainthli village, where a dispute over a drainage channel had turned violent.
The Jarcha police on Thursday arrested the key accused in the Sainthli double murder case that occurred earlier this month, bringing a major breakthrough in the investigation that had triggered protests from the victims’ families over the delay in arrests, police said on Friday.
According to police, the accused was identified as Sachin Singh (33), a resident of Anandpur village under Jarcha police station limits. Singh was apprehended from the Ghantaghar area in Aligarh district following a joint operation based on manual intelligence and confidential inputs. A country-made pistol (.315 bore) along with one spent cartridge lodged in its barrel was also seized, police said.
The accused was wanted in connection with the October 20 murder of Ajaypal Bhati and his nephew Dipanshu Bhati in Sainthli village, where a dispute over a drainage channel had turned violent.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the wanted accused in the Sainthli double murder case was arrested from Aligarh. The weapon used in the crime has also been recovered. This marks an important development in the investigation,” Gautam Budh Nagar police said in a statement issued on Friday.
Police stated that Sachin was one of the key conspirators named in the case registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. His criminal history includes multiple serious cases lodged in Aligarh and Gautam Budh Nagar districts, including those under sections related to attempt to murder, murder, arms, and the Gangsters Act.
The double murder case was registered at Jarcha police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act after the victims’ relative Dhara Singh lodged a complaint naming several neighbours—Prince Bhati, Bobby Tomar, and Manoj Nagar—among others.
Earlier this week, police had arrested Nikhil Barhela (25), a resident of Kot village, from near Anandpur culvert, and recovered a white Swift without number plate, a country-made pistol, and two live cartridges from his possession. Nikhil was allegedly driving the vehicle used in the crime and is believed to have also fired shots during the incident.
The families of the deceased had staged a protest last Friday outside the office of the Gautam Budh Nagar police commissioner in Surajpur, demanding immediate arrest of the prime suspects.
Police officials said that with Sachin’s arrest, the most wanted accused in the case has been taken into custody and further legal proceedings are underway.
