New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Delhi Police Monday said three people have been detained and one arrested for the murder of BSP leader and business tycoon Deepak Bhardwaj at a farmhouse here last week.
“We have arrested Rakesh, the owner of the Skoda car, and we have detained three men – Sunil Mann alias Sonu, Purushottam Rana alias Monu and Amit – who were involved in the murder of Deepak Bhardwaj March 26,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chhaya Sharma.
Amit was driving the car at the time of the murder. He was arrested Sunday from northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area.
The trio might be officially arrested Tuesday and may be presented before court the same day, said another police officer.
“An investigation is on. It is too early to say what was the motive for the murder. We cannot reveal who was the main conspirator behind the incident,” Sharma said.
She added that police are yet to ascertain the involvement of Bhardwaj’s family or any relative in the murder.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police got a tip-off that both the shooters – Sunil and Purushottam – were to surrender in Patiala House Court here.
Police sources said that Purushottam was apprehended from outside Patiala House Court complex Monday morning but Sunil managed to evade the police and entered Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma’s court room to surrender.
However, the judge refused to hear the matter and handed him over to the Crime Branch police.
As police took Sunil outside the courtroom, a ruckus was created by people accompanying him.
Both the shooters were later handed over to South Delhi police, who are investigating the case. Sources said police had issued Look Out Circulars (LOC) to nab the alleged shooters.
Police have questioned Bhardwaj’s wife Ramesh Kumari, their sons and staff over the past few days.
Investigators are also looking into the role of an insider who might have tipped off the killers about the movement of Bhardwaj and the topography of the farmhouse.
Bhardwaj, a realtor and the richest candidate in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections with declared assets of over Rs.600 crore, was shot dead March 26 around 9 a.m. at his 35-acre farmhouse in Rajokri in south Delhi.
The two suspected killers, along with an accomplice, fled in a Skoda car sporting a fake registration number.
The killers entered the farmhouse on the pretext of meeting Bhardwaj. He was shot in the head and chest.
