Police crack murder case of gangster Jandyal; main conspirator still at large

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the murder case of gangster Sumit Jandyal, who was shot dead while traveling in his SUV near the Jewel Chowk here on January 21. However, the main conspirator remains at large.

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The police have identified 13 accused in the case and arrested 11, including two juveniles. The main conspirator, Vikas Slathia alias Vicky, is absconding and believed to be stationed outside India.

Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Joginder Singh said given the seriousness of the crime, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the case. The SIT rounded up around 30 suspects, and raids were conducted across Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The police detailed the events of the crime, stating that shortly after the two assailants fired rounds at Jandyal, one of them snatched a scooty from a local resident and fled the scene. Jandyal was rushed to GMC Jammu, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

According to the police, the rivalry between Vikas Slathia and Sumit Jandyal began in 2023, when Jandyal’s associate, Akshay Kumar, was killed by Slathia’s gang members in Ramgarh, Samba. Subsequently, in April 2024, a gang member of Slathia, Vasudev Kumar, was killed in a police encounter in Kathua. Slathia believed that Jandyal had tipped off the police about Vasudev’s whereabouts, fueling his desire for revenge.

The SSP explained, “To take revenge for the killing of Vasudev, Vikas Slathia planned the murder of Sumit Jandyal. Two shooters, including a juvenile, were hired by another accused, Harsh Singh, who remained in constant touch with Slathia.”

“Weapons were arranged from outside J&K. An Alto car was purchased for carrying out recce on Jandyal for Rs 1,05,000,” the SSP added.

The police revealed that the accused had been monitoring Jandyal for the past four months before executing the murder.

As of now, 11 people, including two juveniles, have been arrested in connection with the case. The arrested individuals include Harsh Singh, Mithun Kumar, Abhay Pratap (shooter), Shiv Kumar Bhagat, Amit Kumar, Arun Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Raj, Ruhan Farooq, and two juveniles.