Recovery agent murdered; 1 held

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 2

A bank loan recovery agent, Mohit Mahajan, who went missing under mysterious circumstances on April 20, was strangled to death on the same day, a police investigation has revealed. The prime suspect, Sandeep Singh, a truck driver of Bhuse village, Tarn Taran, has been arrested.

Sandeep had bought a truck after taking loan from a bank and the deceased had been collecting monthly installments from him. The accused committed the murder only to get rid of Mahajan.

After the murder, the accused had dumped the body in a preserved forest area in Sarai Amanat Khan, which was found by the police on Thursday.

Finding Mohit Mahajan missing, his family members had urged the police to register a case at that time, but cops allegedly didn’t take action until the family staged a protest on Batala road on April 22. Ironically, the case was registered for wrongful confinement (Section 346 of the IPC). At that time, the family had suspected that he had been kidnapped by Sandeep as Mohit Mahajan was last seen with Sandeep in Jahajgarh. Sandeep was driving a bike while Mohit was riding pillion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations) Mukhwinder Singh and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) JS Walia said that after recording the statement of Pankaj Mahajan, brother of the victim, Section 364 (abduction) of the IPC was added to the FIR. Sandeep was arrested on Wednesday evening. During interrogation, he confessed to have committed the crime. The police said the decomposed body parts were found in Sarai Amanat Khan forest area in the presence of a magisterial officer. Now, Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC have been added to the FIR.

The DCP said Sandeep Singh was a drug addict. Mohit used to collect Rs 40,000 as monthly installment from the accused. Angered over it, Sandeep murdered him.

Mohit’s family members said, had the police taken prompt action, Mohit would have been alive. “On April 20, Mohit went to leave his wife and daughter at the bus stand, but didn’t return. Repeated calls to him proved futile. In the evening, one Hardip Singh of Sarai Amanat Khan received their call and informed that he had found the phone on a roadside,” the family said. According to deceased’s kin, they had approached the Sarai Amanat Khan police at that time, but the latter did not take any action. Later, they approached the Mohkampura police which registered a case only after a protest. While searching for Mohit, the family came across a CCTV footage in which he was seen with Sandeep and they shared with same with the police.