Bhardwaj murder: Police hot on heels of elusive godman

The Delhi Police on Monday claimed they were on the heels of the elusive godman, who had allegedly played a ‘major role’ in the contract killing of local BSP leader-cum-businessman Deepak Bhardwaj late last month.

The Delhi Police on Monday claimed they were on the heels of the elusive godman, who had allegedly played a ‘major role’ in the contract killing of local BSP leader-cum-businessman Deepak Bhardwaj late last month.

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While one team apprehended a suspect from Haridwar in Uttarakhand on Sunday evening, another team, sources said, nabbed someone police believe is a close aide of Swami Pratibhanand from Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

“Several teams have been after him since he was identified as a main suspect soon after the incident. We are now very close to getting our hands on him,” said an officer.

A property dealer-cum-spiritual guru who allegedly became part of the conspiracy because he wanted to purchase his own ashram, Pratibhanand apparently helped hire the two contract killers who had gunned Bhardwaj down at his Rajokri farmhouse on the morning of March 26.

Meanwhile, four people, including the two alleged shooters, accused in real estate tycoon Deepak Bhardwaj’s murder case, were on Monday remanded in two weeks judicial custody by a Delhi court.

Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma sent the two alleged shooters Purushottam Rana and Sunil Mann, besides Amit and Pradeep to judicial custody after the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch moved an application for sending them to Tihar Jail. “All the accused are remanded to judicial custody till April 29,” the court said.