Ahmedabad: Three arrested for trader’s murder, manhunt launched for fourth accused

The crime branch team, led by Police Inspector AA Vachheta, arrested the three accused. The officials identified the accused as Madhya Pradesh-based shooter Kuldeep Ransingh Parmar (22), Uttar Pradesh native Annu Udaybhan Rajput (24) who had allegedly accepted the money for the contract killing, and Ankit Kalyansingh Bhadoriya (21), also from MP, who was an alleged accomplice of the killers.

Officials said that the accused were caught with the help of CCTV footage, human intelligence and technical surveillance.

Based on a complaint from the victim’s son Ratanlal Badaji Modi, an FIR was lodged into the matter at Ellisbridge police station.The complainant named his uncle’s three sons Ramesh, Ashok and Prakash as conspirators behind the murder. Earlier in October, an attempt was made on Badaji Modi’s life, the complainant said.

A fourth accused, Ashok Khetaram Modi, who is related to the deceased, has been accused of hiring the contract killers, the police said while quoting the complainant. The police are currently searching for him. Ashok had allegedly paid the killers Rs 25 lakh for the murder, a crime branch statement said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, said police.

Meanwhile, Ellisbridge police station Inspector BD Jhilariya and Inspector SA Patel of Kagdapith police station were suspended on Monday for failing to take action on complaints by people fearing they would be killed.

According to officials, the Ellisbridge police station had allegedly been informed about another impending attack on Modi after a previous attempt on his life in October. In the second case, a local resident Alpesh Thakor was killed on Sunday by a bootlegger Jignesh Sharma and his accomplices. Thakor too had allegedly intimated the Kagdapith police regarding the threat to his life.

On Monday evening, the crime branch and Zone-6 police also conducted a combing operation across the Kagdapith area in connection with the murder case.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad City Commissioner of Police GS Malik while producing the accused before the mediapersons during a press conference said that the crime rate in Ahmedabad has decreased compared to the previous year.

According to a police statement, there has been a 24.74% decrease in murder cases between January and October in 2024 against the same 10-month period in 2023. Similarly, a decline of 19.57% was registered in attempted murder cases, 28.85% reduction in thefts, 21.31% fall in robberies, and 20.61% decline in house break-ins.

However, the data showed a 31.34% rise in criminal breach of trust, and 30.05% rise in cybercrime.