Surat police are on the trail of gangsters belonging to the land mafia,who went underground after Mondays gangwar incident in which one person was killed. In the police combing operation,several criminals have been detained and are being interrogated to trace the whereabouts of Raju Salman alias Raju Patel and Manish Scindia. Gangster Munna Bharwad,the son of a retired school headmaster in Limbdi taluka in Surendranagar district,was brutally murdered by three unidentified persons on Monday morning,when he was returning to his flat from a nearby temple in Bhatar. Munna was accompanied by his friend,Lala Bharwad,who escaped from the spot when the incident occurred. Khatodara police investigating the case suspect some land dispute or old enmity as the murder motive. The police have prepared sketches of three youths as per description given by Bharwad. Even the police are trying to find out whether Manish was present at the spot or not. Inspector M R Chawda said: We suspect that those who executed the murder plot are locals. The assailants first stabbed Munna,but when he tried to escape,they fired five rounds at him from the two pistols that they were carrying. Three rounds misfired,while two hit him on the leg. Later,they pounced on him with swords and knives. The police have raided Raju Salman and Manish Scindias houses at New Rander Road,but both have gone underground with their families. Munna was an associate of Raju Salman,and had attacked Manish Scindia a few months ago. Chawda said that investigations have begun keeping in mind Salman,Laxman Bharwad and Scindia. For the last few months,Munna feared Scindia might try to kill him,and hence hid in his hometown in Limbdi. There,he had a tiff with his brother-in-law,Laxman Bharwad and even beat him up once. Munna came to Surat on Sunday for a case hearing in Surat court on Monday, Chawda added. Police also suspect Laxmans role in the murder.
