The rural police on Saturday claimed to have cracked the blind murder case of Dera head Sukhdev Singh Toti, 46, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Sangh Dhesian village near the Goraya town of the district on July 3 night with the arrest of a man.
The accused has been identified as Naresh Kumar, 35, of Rurka Kalan of the district who, along with two others Sucha and Preet of Sang Dhesia, had killed Sukhdev for Rs 4,000.
Addressing a press conference, superintendent of police (SP-investigation) Parminder Singh Bhandal said Naresh Kumar had met the Dera head a few months ago to seek a solution to the difficulties being faced by him.
Bhandal said the Baba gave him an amulet and charged Rs 4,000 claiming that the amulet would bring prosperity in his life.
The SP said Kumar got furious when things did not change even after wearing the amulet for some days and he demanded his Rs 4,000 back from the Dera head.
Bhandal said he made several requests to the Dera head to return the money, but to no avail.
On the day of the crime, the accused had gone to a fair in the village where he met Sucha and Preet and the trio drank heavily and also consumed a lot of cannabis.
{{/usCountry}}On the day of the crime, the accused had gone to a fair in the village where he met Sucha and Preet and the trio drank heavily and also consumed a lot of cannabis.
{{/usCountry}}The SP said later they went to the Dera where Naresh attacked the Baba with a sharp-edged weapon while the two others held him and strangulated him to death.
While fleeing from the crime spot, Naresh had taken away the victim’s mobile phone.
Three days ago, he sold the mobile to one Tarlok Singh of Rurka Kalan for Rs 850. When he switched on the mobile, the cops traced it and cops reached Naresh.
The SP said that police have recovered the mobile phone and teams are conducting raids to arrest the remaining accused. He lauded efforts of CIA in-charge Harinder Singh and Goraya SHO Jatinderjeet Singh in arresting the accused.
The victim had also been facing 11 criminal cases registered between 1986 to 2001 against him at Goraya, Phillaur and other police stations in the district.