Police in Panipat, Haryana, have cracked the robbery-and-murder case of State Bank of India manager Harshad Kumar, putting three seasoned criminals behind bars. Panipat SP Bhupendra Singh laid out the full sequence of events behind this baffling case at a press conference held on Thursday.
According to SP Bhupendra Singh, Harshad Kumar had returned to Panipat from Hisar on the night of June 1. After reaching the city, he was walking home on foot along the rear road behind Mittal Mall in Sector-25.
While heading home, Harshad Kumar was talking to his wife on his mobile phone and had told her he would reach home shortly. But the moment he ended the call, the criminals who had been lying in wait there surrounded him from all sides.
Screwdriver Plunged Into His Head When He Resisted
The criminals held Harshad Kumar captive and forcibly snatched his gold chain, bracelet and other valuables. When Harshad Kumar, instead of giving in, tried to put up a strong fight against the criminals, the accused lost their temper and plunged a sharp screwdriver near his head and neck. In this fatal assault Harshad Kumar was grievously injured, and the accused fled the spot with the looted items.
Live Encounter on the Bypass After the First Arrest
SP Bhupendra Singh said that police had been carrying out continuous raids to solve this blind murder mystery. The police team got its first success during the day on Wednesday, when it arrested Sharad alias Jogi, a resident of Sultanpur (Delhi).
When the arrested Sharad alias Jogi was interrogated strictly, he revealed the whereabouts of his other accomplices. Acting on his lead, when the police team reached the Bapauli bypass on Wednesday night to nab the two other accused, the criminals — finding themselves cornered — opened direct fire on the police.
Criminals Fired 2 Rounds, Police Fired 9 Bullets
Seeing themselves caught in the grip of the law on the bypass, the criminals fired 2 rounds targeting the police team. The police team too retaliated to defend itself and bring the accused under control, firing a total of 9 bullets from their side.
In this face-to-face encounter, the police bullets struck two of the criminals in the legs. Sachin was hit in the left leg, while Naveen (a resident of Subhash Nagar, Tehsil Camp) was hit in the right leg. As soon as they were shot, both criminals collapsed on the spot and the police took them into custody. The injured criminals were immediately sent to hospital for treatment.
Accused Have a Long Criminal History
Police investigation and a check of records have revealed that the arrested accused are professional criminals. Naveen and Sachin, who were injured in the encounter, already have 3 robbery cases each registered against them at different police stations. Police will now take the accused on remand and try to recover the screwdriver used in the crime as well as the gold chain and bracelet looted from Harshad Kumar.
