Key accused held in Rohtak murder case

The Rohtak police on Sunday claimed to have solved the murder of Anil, a resident of Ritoli village here and uncle of alleged gangster Ankit alias Baba, with the arrest of a key accused.

Anil was shot dead by unidentified assailants while riding his motorcycle in his native village on June 1.

The arrested accused, Deepak, a resident of Madodi Jatan village, was produced before a local court which remanded him to two days of police custody for further interrogation. The police revealed that Deepak has a criminal background with over six cases registered against him across police stations in Sonepat, Rohtak and Delhi.

“The murder is believed to be the result of an ongoing rivalry between two parties – of Ankit Baba and Himanshu Bhau -- in Ritoli village. The long-standing enmity has led to repeated confrontations and violent incidents. In light of this, the police are making all possible efforts to maintain peace in the village,” said a spokesman of the district police.

He maintained that the murder was planned by several individuals including Bhumit and Manish Dholia from Mokhra village; Deepak and Mohit from Madodi Jatan; and another Deepak from Madina village, Rohtak. The plot was allegedly orchestrated by Himanshu alias "Bhau," who is currently residing abroad, he added.

Inspector Kuldeep Singh, in-charge of the CIA-1 unit, stated that a murder case was registered at Shivaji Colony police station on June 1 based on a complaint filed by Anil’s brother Sunil. “Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided the hideout and arrested Deepak on Saturday. The remaining suspects are still at large and efforts are on to apprehend them,” he said.

The Ankit Baba–Himanshu Bhau gang rivalry has claimed several lives over the years, making Ritoli a focal point of gang-related violence in the region.