Top I-T official murdered in Madhya Pradesh, two held

A senior income-tax official in Madhya Pradesh who had played a key role in searches and raids in the state was strangled at his house in Ujjain on Sunday afternoon.

A senior income-tax official in Madhya Pradesh who had played a key role in searches and raids in the state was strangled at his house in Ujjain on Sunday afternoon.

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Police arrested two persons for the murder, making the breakthrough after the duo turned up at a police station around 5pm claiming that their motorcycle — which they used in the crime about an hour earlier — had been stolen.

Police found the body of Arun Diwan, additional commissioner in the income-tax department (posted at Indore), from the bathroom of his house in upscale Shree Vishala Colony.

The Indian Revenue Service officer's neighbours in the two-storey building had alerted the police after hearing noise of a scuffle from his house on the first floor. The neighbours and locals told the police they saw two men leave his house around 4pm.

Diwan, 42, was transferred from Ujjain to Indore about a year ago. Separated from his wife, he stayed alone in his house.

Police said the accused, who are from a village adjoining the city, knew Diwan lived alone and had planned to rob him. One of the accused had once supplied milk at Diwan's house.

Ujjain superintendent of police Rakesh Gupta said, "Diwan was killed after he tried to resist the robbery."

Police have traced the motorcycle — which the accused hid and tried to hoodwink the police — used in the crime.

Diwan hailed from Haryana. Police are trying to contact his family to hand over his body.