Serial killer out to kill watchmen sleeping during duty hours arrested in Bhopal

Police superintendent Tarun Nayak said Shivprasad, the accused, murdered the fifth guard in Bhopal and he was being taken back to his Sagar, where he allegedly murdered four security guards at

Published on: Sep 2, 2022, 12:00:39 IST

By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A 19-year-old alleged serial killer out to kill watchmen sleeping during duty hours was arrested after he killed a fifth watchman on Thursday night even as 10 teams and 250 police personnel were looking for him since Tuesday after he murdered four security guards, including three within 72 hours, in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar.

The suspect was being taken back to Sagar. (HT PHOTO)

Police superintendent Tarun Nayak said Shivprasad, the accused, murdered the fifth guard in Bhopal and he was being taken back to Sagar, where he allegedly murdered four security guards at separate places last week.

“...Shivprasad, a resident of Kesli in Sagar, has confessed to six murders. He said he was on a mission to kill security guards who slept during duty hours,” said Nayak. He added that Shivprasad was being interrogated.

The back-to-back killings triggered panic in Sagar and prompted the police to form 10 teams and deploy 250 personnel to arrest the serial killer.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday said police were on “high alert” and all watchmen on night duty have also been alerted.

A sketch of the suspect was released and police announced a reward of ₹30,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Police began ascertaining possible links between the murders after the mobile phone of one of the guards was recovered from a spot where another was murdered.

The first murder was reported on August 28 when Kalyan Lodhi, 57, who was posted at a truck-building factory, was killed after his head was smashed. Shambhu Saran Dubey, 60, who was on duty at a college, was found murdered on August 29. His head too was smashed with a heavy stone. The third murder was reported on August 30, when Mangal Ahirwar, 45 was killed with a plougher. Another security guard, Uttam Rajak, was killed at an under-construction railway bridge in May.

Police on Thursday said they zeroed in on the suspect based on CCTV footage of Sagar’s Moti Nagar, where the last killing took place.

A serial killer was arrested in 2018 for allegedly killing 34 truck drivers and cleaners over a decade in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.