Ranchi, April 10: The Ranchi Police have successfully solved the murder case of BJP leader Anil Mahato, also known as Anil Tiger, and have arrested four persons in connection with the case including the absconding shooter Aman, an official said. The investigation revealed that the murder was linked to a land dispute.

Ranchi DIG cum SSP Chandan Sinha held a press conference here on Thursday evening, revealing that a conspiracy to assassinate him was orchestrated by land dealer Devvrat Nath Shahdev, a resident of Kishore Ganj, Ranchi.

“Shahdev had a dispute with BJP leader Anil Tiger over the ownership of 10 acres of land in Gagi Khatanga village, under the Kanke police station area,” he said.

According to police, the investigation uncovered the involvement of seven individuals in the conspiracy — Devvrat Nath Shahdev, Abhishek Sinha, Rohit Verma, Aman Singh, Zeeshan Akhtar, Manish Chaurasia, and Ajay Kumar Rajak.

Among them, four persons — Aman Singh, Manish Chaurasia, Zeeshan Akhtar, and Ajay Kumar — have been arrested.

Anil Tiger was shot dead in broad daylight on March 26 around 4 p.m. while sitting inside a hotel at Kanke Chowk in Ranchi.

The killing sent shockwaves across the city, triggering widespread outrage. In protest, several political and social organisations called for a shutdown of Ranchi on March 27, which saw significant public response.

Following the murder, one of the two assailants, Rohit Verma, was arrested after a police encounter. However, his accomplice, Aman, had managed to flee and remained on the run for two weeks.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to probe the high-profile case, apprehended Aman with the help of the police technical cell.

Apart from Aman, two other individuals have been arrested for conducting a recce of the BJP leader and aiding the conspiracy. Raids were carried out at multiple locations to nab the suspects.

The police are also interrogating Sunny Singh, a known criminal from Kishore Ganj, Ranchi, who is currently in custody on remand.

Initially, Rohit Verma claimed during questioning that the murder was an act of revenge for the killing of criminal Santosh Jaiswal in Lohardaga district, allegedly carried out at Anil Tiger’s behest.

However, police have since found this to be a deliberate attempt to mislead the investigation.

According to the police, fresh evidence now points to a property dispute as the actual motive, with a land dealer believed to be the mastermind behind the assassination.

Chennai, April 10: Around 140 kilograms of ganja, valued at several lakhs of rupees, was seized from a secluded area in Tamil Nadu’s Anakaputhur on Thursday.

The seizure led to the arrest of a notorious drug smuggler from Andhra Pradesh. The accused was identified as Appala Naidu (20).

Naidu’s accomplice, Rahman (28) and several drug dealers are currently absconding.

According to police sources, the contraband was procured in bulk from Odisha.

Naidu and Rahman had travelled to the forested foothills of Odisha, where they purchased the ganja directly from local cultivators. The harvested ganja was then dried, processed, and packed into small five-gram sachets, totaling 140 kilograms.

To evade detection, the smugglers avoided transporting the ganja directly by vehicle. Instead, local women carried the packets on their heads through dense forest areas and cashew plantations. These packets were then hidden near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border along various national highways, police sources said.

Once the ganja reached these hideouts, it was transported to Tamil Nadu and Kerala in cars.

To ensure safe passage, the smugglers deployed two men on motorbikes to serve as escort pilots – one riding ahead and the other following behind the ganja-laden vehicle, maintaining a buffer zone of about one kilometer. Upon entering Tamil Nadu, the initial escorts returned, and Appala Naidu assumed escort duties on a motorbike, while Rahman followed in the car carrying the contraband, the police sources said.

The drop-off took place in a remote, bushy patch in Anakaputhur, where the ganja was unloaded and concealed.

While Rahman fled the scene in the vehicle, Naidu stayed behind to guard the stash and coordinate with local wholesale and retail dealers.

However, acting on a tip-off, the Shankar Nagar Special Task Force conducted a swift and well-coordinated operation. They surrounded the area, apprehended Naidu, and seized the entire consignment.

Authorities also confiscated Naidu’s mobile phone, which is now being examined to trace his network of contacts and potential clients across Chennai’s suburbs.

The police are continuing their efforts to track down Rahman and other members of the distribution network.

The operation has drawn significant attention for exposing an elaborate and well-organised smuggling route stretching from the forests of Odisha to the outskirts of Chennai, complete with security escorts and logistical coordination.

Patna, April 10: In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the NEET-UG 2024 question paper leak, the Bihar Police have announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Sanjeev Kumar Singh alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, the alleged mastermind behind the scandal.

A formal letter was issued from the office of Kundan Krishnan, Additional Director General (ADG) of Bihar Police Headquarters, notifying the public about the bounty. A reward has also been announced for two others accused.

The officials said that police personnel or any individual who successfully helps to arrest the absconding accused will get the reward.

The notification will be valid for two years, which means if any police personnel arrest these three criminals within two years, they are entitled to the reward amount.

The other two accused are Shubham Kumar and Rajkishore Kumar. Bihar Police announced a bounty of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads. Subham is a resident of Beechbazar under the jurisdiction of Sohsarai Police Station in the Nalanda district and is involved in two cases.

Raj Kishore Kumar was also involved in two cases and is a resident of Bakhtari village under the Karpi Police station limit in the Arwal district.

The police have urged the public to come forward with credible information about the whereabouts of the absconding accused.

All identities of informants will be kept strictly confidential, and they will be entitled to the announced rewards, the officials have said.

Sanjeev Kumar Singh, alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, is an accused in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case registered initially in Shastri Nagar Police Station (Case No. 358/2024), Constable Recruitment scam, Teachers Recruitment scam, and another pending case. Mukhiya is a native of Shahpur Balwa village under the limit of Nagarnausa Police Station in Nalanda district.

The NEET-UG paper leak scandal was unearthed on May 5, 2024, when the Patna Police detected irregularities during the nationwide medical entrance exam.

The investigation was first handled by the Shastri Nagar police, then transferred to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), and finally handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 23, 2024.

The CBI’s FIR named eight accused, including Sanjeev Mukhiya, Ayush Raj, Rocky, Amit Anand, Nitish Kumar, Bittu, Akhilesh, and Sikandar Yadavendu. Sanjeev Mukhiya has a known history of orchestrating high-profile examination frauds and is now among the most wanted criminals in Bihar.