BJP worker murdered by ‘brother-in-law’:Dhaba operator shot dead in Narmadapuram over suspected illicit relationship

Police have solved the murder of BJP worker and dhaba owner Sachin Rajput in Narmadapuram district’s Sohagpur area within 24 hours. The accused turned out to be none other than Sachin’s self-styled brother-in-law, Yogendra alias Yogi Gurjar (30). Acting on suspicions about his wife’s character, the accused allegedly carried out the killing. Police have arrested him and recovered the motorcycle and illegal pistol used in the crime. According to police, Yogendra took Sachin to a culvert near the Rani Pipariya canal on the night of June 17 using mobile location tracking as a pretext and shot him in the head. The accused was related to Sachin as a self-proclaimed brother-in-law. Police have recovered the pistol and motorcycle used in the murder. Body found at 3 AM through mobile location Sachin Rajput ran the ‘Rajput Dhaba’ near Mahua village on Pipariya Road. He was at the dhaba on the night of June 17 when Yogendra arrived and took him away on a motorcycle. When Sachin failed to return home, his family alerted the police. Investigators traced his mobile phone location to the Rani Pipariya canal area, about 1 km from the state highway. Around 3 am, police recovered his blood-soaked body from a canal culvert. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Chakka jam in Sohagpur in protest against the murder After Sachin did not return home late at night, relatives and dhaba staff began searching for him. When they failed to locate him, they informed the Shobhapur police outpost. Outpost in-charge Rahul Patel and his team traced Sachin’s mobile location to an area near the Rani Pipariya canal, around a kilometre from the Pipariya–Narmadapuram state highway. At about 3 am, police recovered Sachin’s blood-stained body from a canal culvert on the Pondhi Panjara Road. Gunshot injury marks were found on his head. Character suspicion emerged as the reason for murder during interrogation News of the murder triggered outrage among locals and supporters on Wednesday morning. Protesters blocked roads in Sohagpur demanding action. Superintendent of Police Sai Krishna Thota and Station House Officer Girish Tripathi reached the spot and assured strict action, following which the blockade was lifted. Accused arrested, pistol and bike seized According to police, preliminary investigation and interrogation revealed that the motive was suspicion over the victim’s alleged relationship with the accused’s wife. Investigators said Yogendra suspected that Sachin was involved with his wife. Acting on that suspicion, he allegedly lured Sachin to an isolated location and shot him dead. Police arrested 30-year-old Yogendra alias Yogi Gurjar, a resident of Bundhni village in Sehore district. Officers recovered the country-made pistol used in the murder, valued at around Rs 20,000, along with the motorcycle, mobile phone and clothes worn during the crime. Special team cracked the case in 24 hours A special team was formed under the direction of SP Sai Krishna Thota to solve the blind murder case. Working under the supervision of ASP Avdhesh Pratap Singh and SDOP Shreya Chauhan, the team tracked the accused using technical evidence and informers. Led by Inspector Girish Tripathi, the team arrested him within 24 hours. Reached Sohagpur from about 80 kilometers away Police investigation revealed that Yogendra suspected an illicit relationship between his wife and Sachin Rajput and allegedly planned the murder because of it. The accused shared a close relationship with Sachin, who referred to him as his brother-in-law. Police said Yogendra travelled nearly 80 km to Sohagpur before carrying out the crime. CCTV footage helped crack the case Police examined CCTV footage from Rajput Dhaba, which helped connect the pieces of the investigation. The footage showed Yogendra arriving at the dhaba on a motorcycle from Sehore district, around 80 km away. After reaching the dhaba, Sachin touched his self-styled brother-in-law’s feet as a mark of respect and the two spoke for some time. The accused then allegedly persuaded Sachin to accompany him on the motorcycle to the isolated canal culvert at Rani Pipariya, where he shot him in the head and fled. Investigators said the CCTV footage clearly showed the accused with Sachin shortly before the murder, strengthening suspicion against him and helping solve the case. Murder rooted in suspicion over relationship During interrogation, police found that Yogendra harboured deep suspicions about a relationship between his wife and Sachin. Driven by that suspicion and resentment, he allegedly plotted the murder, took Sachin to a secluded spot and killed him. Public anger led to road blockade As news of the murder spread on Wednesday morning, local residents and BJP supporters expressed strong anger and staged a road blockade in Sohagpur. SP Sai Krishna Thota assured protesters that the investigation would be fair and strict action would be taken, after which the protest ended. Sachin was popular for organising MLA Trophy cricket tournament Sachin Rajput was an active BJP worker in the Sohagpur region and was considered a close supporter of local MLA Vijaypal Singh. He regularly participated in social and religious activities and organised the annual ‘Vidhayak Trophy Cricket Tournament’ for local youth. Police have now arrested Yogendra and seized the pistol, motorcycle, mobile phone and clothes allegedly used during the crime.