West Champaran man plots son’s murder

BAGAHA/PATNA: An elderly man turned out to be the mastermind of his businessman son’s murder in West Champaran on December 2.
Shafique Alam (45) was shot dead in a mango orchard near Karbala ground at Jokaha under Manuapul outpost of Mufassil police station area in Bettiah town. A police team led by Bettiah SDPO Mukul Parimal Pandey on Friday arrested Ranjan Singh (42), Shankar Singh (40) alias Saiyyuddin, Ali Husain alias Mukhiya (42), Sheikh Nizamuddin (45) and Ejaz Ahmad alias Riyajuddin (55).They were sent to jail on Saturday.
Bettiah SP Upendranath Verma said kingpin Ejaz got Shafique killed at the behest of his father Anwarul Haque (65) of Bagahi- Sheikhpura village under Kateya police station area of Gopalganj. Anwarul had given Rs5 lakh as ‘supari’ for his son’s murder. Anwarul was arrested earlier this week.
Police said Shafique was involved in cattle trading and owned a general store in Gopalganj. Manuapul police outpost incharge Nirbhay Kumar Rai said Anwarul was fed up with his son’s illegal activities and his addiction to drug and liquor. “Shafique had taken money from many people in the name of selling them land owned by his father. He used to thrash everyone at home in an inebriated state. So, his father decided to get him eliminated,” Rai said.
Police sources three persons, including Ranjan and Saiyyudin, had brought Shafique to Bettiah from Gopalganj on a bike. Ranjan and Saiyyudin shot him. An empty 9mm cartridge was recovered from the spot.
Ejaz is a native of Phulwaria in Gopalganj and had provided information to killers about Shafique’s whereabouts. Saiyyuddin belongs to Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh while Ranjan is from Patkhauli in Bagaha-2 block. Ali Husain and Sheikh Nizamuddin are natives of Chanpatiya block in West Champaran.
“Ejaz and his gang members are involved in several criminal cases in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh as well as in Nepal,” the SP said.
Two pistols used in the killing of Shafique along with ammunition were recovered from Ranjan and Saiyyudin.
A senior police officer said police came to know that Shafique had last talked to co-villager Krishna Yadav (30). “When interrogated, Krishna spilled the beans and was arrested on December 13. Police then arrested contract killers and later called Anwarul to Bettiah,” he said. Anwarul finally confessed to paying Rs70,000 in advance and later Rs5 lakh which he got by selling a plot of land.
The officer said Saiyyudin and Ranjan also admitted their involvement in at least 17 loot cases in Bettiah, Bagaha, Motihari and Nepal.