Suspended Haryana cadre IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar has been arrested by the Delhi Police's crime branch for allegedly conspiring to murder a businessman based in the national capital, the police said on Thursday.
Kumar, a 1985 batch officer, along with former Haryana chief minister, Om Prakash Chautala, his MLA son, Ajay Chautala and 53 others was earlier convicted by a Delhi court for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior teachers and was out on parole.
The IAS officer was arrested late on Thursday after the police learnt about the alleged murder plot he was hatching with the help of a contract killer after a property dispute with his friend. Kumar was arrested along with alleged gangsters Shoukat Pasha and two shooters Taufiq and Manna.
Special commissioner of police (crime), Taj Hassan, confirmed the arrest: "A case has been registered against the bureaucrat and investigations are underway."
Sources in the crime branch said the IAS officer's arrest came after the contract killer, who turned out to be an informer of a senior crime branch officer, told the police about the murder plot.
"The contract killer told the crime branch official that he had been approached by the IAS officer for executing the murder of the businessman in lieu of money. The bureaucrat had promised to pay him a hefty sum for executing the killing," a source in crime branch told Hindustan Times. The contract killer allegedly took some token money as advance from the bureaucrat.
{{/usCountry}}"The contract killer told the crime branch official that he had been approached by the IAS officer for executing the murder of the businessman in lieu of money. The bureaucrat had promised to pay him a hefty sum for executing the killing," a source in crime branch told Hindustan Times. The contract killer allegedly took some token money as advance from the bureaucrat.
{{/usCountry}}"Sanjiv Kumar has been arrested for criminal conspiracy to murder a businessman, who is his friend and closest associate. The plan was hatched while in Tihar Jail when Sanjiv was in judicial custody along with the Chautalas," a senior police officer said. He wanted to eliminate his close friend with whom he had developed some property disputes and also wanted to get himself injured and get bail, the officer added.
"And most importantly he wanted to blame the Chautalas for this attack on himself and his friend," the police official said.
Kumar was earlier director of Primary Education and the court had relied on his testimony for the verdict. He was initially a whistleblower in the case but in the CBI probe that followed he was also found to be involved in the scam.
"The crime branch officer informed his seniors about the deal and sought their approval for probing the matter. Once the approval was received, the crime branch team laid a trap and picked up the IAS officer for questioning. The bureaucrat was confronted with the contract killer's statement and evidences collected against him. After his role was confirmed, the IAS officer was placed under arrest," the source said.
With PTI inputs