Army soldier arrested for taxi driver’s murder

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 28

The Kangra police have arrested an Army soldier Hanuman Singh, a resident of Haryana, posted in Dharamsala for murder of a Baijnath-based taxi driver.

The Ranital police had discovered body of taxi driver Ashwani near Bathu bridge on Kangra Ranital national highway. The deceased had four gunshot wounds in back and head. The taxi of Ashwani was also missing.

Addressing a press conference here today Superintendent of Police Kangra, Vimukt Ranjan, said that initially it was a blind murder case. The police resorted to technical investigation like tracking of mobiles and detailed analysis of CCTV cameras along the Kangra Ranital road to crack the case.

Later, the taxi of the deceased was also found from the Army cantonment area. Police investigation revealed that the murder was committed by Army jawan Hanuman Singh who suspected the deceased of having illicit relations with his wife.

The investigation revealed that suspecting the accused of having illicit relations with his wife, Hanuman Singh on September 23 called and hired the taxi of Ashwani. After reaching Bathu bridge near Ranital, the Army jawan asked the taxi driver to stop the car to help him click some photos. He asked the taxi driver to click some photos for him. As the driver turned back to click his photos, the jawan took out his pistol and fired two shots at his back. The taxi driver fell down.

To make sure that the taxi driver was dead, the army jawan then fired two shots to the head of driver. He left the deceased on the spot and drove his vehicle to Army area and joined back duty.

The Superintendent of Police said that further investigation into case was going on. The accused army jawan was produced in local court of Dharamsala that remanded him into police custody for four days. A case of murder has been registered against the accused Army jawan.

Taxi found in cantt

• The Ranital police had discovered body of taxi driver Ashwani near Bathu bridge on the Kangra Ranital national highway. The deceased had four gunshot wounds in the back and head 
• Later, the taxi of the deceased was also found from the Army cantonment area. Police investigation revealed that the murder was committed by Army jawan Hanuman Singh who suspected the deceased of having illicit relations with his wife