Cops probing BJP leader Teotia’s rivalry to crack case

The police are investigating if BJP leader Brijpal Teotia had any rivalry with anyone. The police are probing seven murders. Three took place in Ghaziabad in 1984, three in Dasna Jail in 1997, and one in 1999.

The police are investigating if BJP leader Brijpal Teotia had any rivalry with anyone. The police are probing seven murders. Three took place in Ghaziabad in 1984, three in Dasna Jail in 1997, and one in 1999.

BJP leader Brijpal Teotia was attacked at Murad Nagar in Ghaziabad on Thursday night. (Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times)

Their prime suspect is Manoj of Mehrauli village, whose uncle Suresh Diwan was murdered in 1999. Teotia’s name had cropped up in the case.

“We suspect a long-standing rivalry between the two groups over a piece of land in Ghaziabad. Manoj is one of the suspects. The attack was planned,” said Rakesh Kumar Pandey, superintendent of police (rural).

The four houses belonging to Manoj and his family remained locked ever since the incident and only cattle and a pet dog were found. Police teams are deployed outside the houses and villagers are not allowed to move nearby.

Villagers from Mehrauli remained tight-lipped about the previous murders and said there was no enmity between the two groups. Even Teotia’s brother denied any rivalry with anyone. The caretakers at Teotia’s old house in village denied the allegation.

Police sources said some injured persons told them they saw Manoj during the Thursday incident at Murad Nagar.

After Thursday’s attack, the police said they questioned Sunita, the wife of Rakesh Hasanpuriya, who was gunned down at Kavi Nagar in 2003-04. Officials said, “Teotia had possibly informed the police about Hasanpuriya.”

Read: BJP leader Brij Pal Teotia shot at in Ghaziabad, in critical condition

Sunita was questioned on late Thursday night. She is a constable with UP police and posted at Baghpat, officials said.

“After being suspended, she was reinstated recently. The police are questioning her to get leads in the case. She also has rivalry with Inderpal Singh, a former chief of Hasanpur village. Inderpal was also in Teotia’s car that was attacked on Thursday,” said SSP KS Emmanuel.

After the questioning, the police claimed Sunita and Manoj knew each other well. “They pay each other visits. We are probing if they are involved in the attack. The constable is cooperating in the investigation,” Pandey said.

The police are also probing if Teotia has any business rivalry as he was into property dealing. “We are probing all angles. However, we have failed to make any headway so far,” the SSP said.

Teotia, a former Delhi police constable, is said to be close to BJP leader Rajnath Singh. He was roped in the party by former Ghaziabad MP Ramesh Chandra Tomar.