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Cops nab Ranchi shooting suspects after dramatic lakeside encounter
A shootout at Kanke Dam injured a suspect linked to the murder of land dealer Bhargav Singh, who identified his assailant before dying.
One person wanted in a criminal case was injured in a high-stakes recovery operation at Kanke Dam as it culminated in a shootout between Ranchi Police and the murder suspects of 40-yr-old land dealer Bhargav Singh, people aware of the development said on Wednesday.
The confrontation, which occurred around 7:30 am on Wednesday, left one suspect wounded and an officer injured after the former’s desperate attempt to escape.
“When a police team went to arrest him following a tip-off, he tried to escape after snatching a weapon from security personnel. In response, the police fired at him, injuring him in his legs,” stated Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan said.
The suspect, identified as 35-yr-old Satyam Pathak, sustained gunshot wounds to both legs and was taken to a local hospital under heavy guard. An assistant sub-inspector Lal Mohan Kharia also sustained injuries during the scuffle.
The violence traces back to Manokamana Temple near the OTC ground in Pandra OP area, where Bhargav Singh was gunned down at point-blank range around 8:00 am on Tuesday. According to eyewitnesses, Singh was a regular at the temple and was ambushed as he stepped outside after offering prayers.
Union minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth, who was holding a ‘Janata Durbar’ nearby, rushed to the scene and helped coordinate a ‘green corridor’ to transport the bleeding victim to the hospital.
Before succumbing to his injuries, Singh provided a crucial dying declaration. Ranchi (city) SP Paras Rana confirmed, “The victim... was shot at over a ₹20 lakh dispute. Before Singh’s death, his statement was recorded in which he identified the accused.”
Based on this testimony, police quickly apprehended prime suspect Vijay Tete, shortly after the murder. The investigation revealed that Tete, a resident of the Gandhinagar area in Kanke, had allegedly threatened Singh over the phone just days prior regarding the botched land deal. Authorities have since recovered two weapons from Pathak’s possession and are continuing legal proceedings against both.
A press release from SSP Rakesh Ranjan’s office mentioned the criminal record of Pathak who sustained bullet injuries during the encounter.
The release mentioned four cases, registered at Kotwali, Doranda, Vidhansabha, and Namkum police stations.
“Pathak had shot dead Ved Prakash Singh. He was in jail. After he bailed out, he committed another murder,” a police official close to the matter said.
