3 accused arrested from Surat in Rewa murder case:Accused were hiding in Gujarat, working as security guards in Metro project

The Surat Special Operations Group (SOG) has arrested three main accused in the January 2026 murder case of Atiq Ahmed Sheikh in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa. The accused had allegedly fled from Madhya Pradesh and were hiding in Surat to avoid arrest. They were working as private security guards at a Metro Rail Project site. The arrested accused have been identified as Akash Singh alias Saurabh Singh Rajput, Satyam Singh Rajput and Ajit Singh Rajput. All three were staying in Masma village in the Olpad area of Surat. Police said they received information that the accused involved in the riot and murder case registered at Panwar police station in Rewa were hiding in the Adajan area. After surveillance, the Surat SOG team arrested all three accused. See these pictures related to the incident Dispute started during religious fair During interrogation, police found that a religious fair was organised in the Shivpur area of Rewa district on January 1, 2026. As part of the welcome ritual, sandalwood paste was being applied on visitors’ foreheads. Atiq Ahmed Sheikh had reached the fair with his friends. Police said Atiq objected to sandalwood paste being applied on his forehead, leading to an argument. Soon, people from two communities came face to face and a scuffle broke out at the fair. Police said the accused later planned to attack Atiq over the dispute. Attacked with sticks and rods on January 27 According to police, Atiq was travelling in a tempo on January 27 when the accused and their associates stopped him on the way. They allegedly attacked him with sticks and iron rods. Atiq suffered serious injuries and was admitted to hospital in critical condition, where he later died during treatment. Viral video helped police identify accused A video of the assault had gone viral on social media after the incident. The footage reportedly showed the attackers throwing the victim to the ground and repeatedly beating him with sticks. The victim suffered severe head and body injuries. After the attack, the accused fled from the spot, leaving him critically injured. Police identified the accused through the viral video and launched a search operation. Five youths named in FIR The victim’s family had named five accused from Champagarh village under Panwar police station limits. The accused named in the FIR included Shivam Singh Thakur, Ajit Singh Thakur, Saurabh Singh Thakur, Satyam Singh Thakur and Shakti Singh Thakur. SIT of over 100 police personnel formed Considering the seriousness of the case, the Rewa Superintendent of Police had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT). More than 100 police personnel were involved in searching for the accused. Despite continuous raids, the accused remained absconding for nearly four months before being traced to Surat. After completing legal formalities, Surat Police handed over the three arrested accused to Madhya Pradesh Police. Police said the accused continued working in security guard uniforms while evading arrest.