Cops: Accused tried to implicate BSP leader’s neighbour in murder

Bunty was arrested late Sunday night for allegedly orchestrating the murders of 45-year-old Hassan and his family so he could take over the victim’s property and assets worth Rs 2 crore. He had hired contract killers to commit the crime.

Police have recorded the statements of three people who stay in the same building where the four contract killers were put up until May 20.

Police have also collected details of Hassan’s 15 properties and discovered that in most, the power of attorney was with Bunty. Police said this could be because Hassan wanted to contest polls and hide his property details. This is also what could have prompted Bunty to allegedly plan the murder, police said.

An officer said Bunty ran pillar to post to get Hassan out of Tihar, meeting with several policemen to seek their help. “Hassan was released on May 17 and Bunty called the assailants the same day. He then took to a building in Sant Nagar where one room was vacant. They posed as his relatives,” police said.

Police said Bunty promised the contract killers a share in Hassan’s property, and also paid them Rs 3 lakh. “The assailants initially decided to eliminate Hassan outside his home, but they were stopped by Bunty, who informed them about an old rivalry between Hassan and his neighbour over some property matter. Bunty thought he could use this to implicate the neighbour, and before the murder, tried to create conflict between him and Hassan,” police said.

Bunty told police that when Hassan eventually got into an argument with his neighbour on May 19, Bunty tried to escalate the situation and called people in the vicinity to witness the incident. The next day, four persons went to Hassan’s home and killed him. “In his complaint, Bunty stated that Hassan was found dead on Saturday morning and that he had a fight with his neighbour on Friday night,” police said.