4 min readVadodaraJul 5, 2026 08:01 AM IST
First published on: Jul 5, 2026 at 08:00 AM IST
The June 26 firing on garment trader Ashish Kumar, who was shot in his moving car on Waghodia Road here, was the result of a contract killing plot allegedly hatched by his former employer based in Fiji, police said on Saturday.
The crime was executed after over two months of surveillance, rehearsals and cross-country travel, police said after announcing two arrests in the case.
Vadodara Range inspector general Sandeep Singh said the conspiracy was allegedly orchestrated by Jay Dayal, one of Kumar’s former employers, who convinced his employee, Vikram Pratap Singh, to return to India and eliminate Kumar.
Kumar and Dayal had a long-running financial dispute. Vikram Singh, meanwhile, is an electronics engineer from Durg, the IG added.
Police said Vikram arrived in New Delhi from Singapore on April 20 and got in touch with co-accused Gurjeet Singh to begin preparations for the hit.
Over the next two months, the duo allegedly made repeated trips to Vadodara, watched Kumar’s movements, and identified escape routes. Police said that the two accused went to unusual lengths to avoid attracting attention while in Vadodara. “During one visit, they watched a movie at Pooja Mall. Before they shot Kumar, they had watched another movie at Bansal Mall,” Sandeep Singh said, adding that the actions reflected “the extent of planning and preparation involved in the conspiracy.”
On the night of June 26, the men allegedly opened fire on Ashish Kumar’s moving car near Waghodia Chokdi before disappearing into the night and beginning their journey back to Durg. Investigators reconstructed the trail through CCTV footage, train tickets, mobile phone data, and an image captured outside a medical store.
IG Sandeep Singh said, “Kumar had previously worked in Fiji and had differences with his employer there before returning to India… the dispute eventually escalated into a contract to eliminate Kumar as Dayal urged Vikram Pratap Singh to travel to India to eliminate Kumar.”
Vadodara district superintendent of police Sushil Agrawal said the accused had intended to kill Kumar. While Vikram allegedly drove the two-wheeler, Gurjeet Singh fired at Kumar from close range. Agrawal said, “The bullet entered the victim’s right shoulder and was removed several days later during treatment… Using technical surveillance, mobile phone analysis, human intelligence and digital tracking, we identified the suspects’ mobile numbers, addresses and movement history.”
Police teams from Vadodara travelled to Durg and coordinated with local authorities there for two days before making the arrests. “Our operation in Durg continued for two days. With the assistance of the Durg police, we secured the custody of both accused and brought them here for further legal proceedings,” Agrawal said.
Police have recovered the pistol allegedly used in the attack, two magazines and ten live cartridges from them. Police said they have uncovered a financial trail linking the alleged mastermind in Fiji to the accused in India. “We have so far traced financial transactions amounting to approximately Rs 2.72 lakh that were transferred from Fiji into the account of Vikram’s wife. He paid Rs 50,000 from this amount to Gurjeet Singh for carrying out the shooting,” Singh said.
Police said they were now examining the possibility of the extradition of Jay Dalal. Sandeep Singh added that the police also recovered an air ticket for July 7, when Vikram was to escape to Fiji.
Police teams from Vadodara travelled to Durg and coordinated with local authorities there for two days before making the arrests. "Our operation in Durg continued for two days. (Source: File/ Representational) 
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