Prime suspect in Budhraj killing held

Police Commissioner Hira Lal told reporters later that the crime branch had got a hint that Mishra had contacted one Mahesh Desai, a person living on Sola Road, for help. He said Desai had helped Romesh Sharma in several court cases and was his old friend.

Desai was described as an advocate by Delhi police but local inquiries revealed that he was in fact a transport operator involved in a cheating case sometime back. As the police questioned Desai on his links with Romesh Sharma, he told the police that Romesh8217;s nephew Surendra Mishra was hiding in a guest house. This led the police to room number 50 of Kapadia Guest House, from where he was arrested officially at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the commissioner said.

Except for some visiting cards nothing was recovered from Mishra.There is a little confusion on who tipped whom. The police sources here say it was Desai who tipped off the Delhi police about Mishra8217;s whereabouts. They in turn alerted Kutch police, asking them to pass on the information to Ahmedabad police.

Delhi police also despatched several teams to suspected hideouts of Mishra and his four henchmen 8212; Rakesh, Rajesh, Nani, and Prahlad 8212; but had failed to trace them out. The police commissioner said a team of Delhi police arrived on Tuesday by a morning flight to take Mishra back for interrogation in connection with Budhraj8217;s murder.

Since his arrest, Mishra was was kept at the crime branch office at Shahibaug, where he was interrogated by the police. When he was produced before the press he threatened to end his life saying, 8220;If they harass me more, I will commit suicide.8221;

Budhraj, 29, was allegedly murdered by Mishra and his accomplices on March 19 in Delhi when she went to her friend Romesh Sharma8217;s farm house.