PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Dehradun Police and the Special Task Force (STF) have arrested two accused in the murder of gangster Vikram Sharma, while six other accused are still absconding, officials said on Monday. Addressing the media on Monday, STF senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said that the accused had planned the murder nearly six months in advance. They had earlier attempted to execute their plan in Jamshedpur and Noida but failed because Sharma was always accompanied by several people.
The arrested accused have been identified as Akshat Thakur alias Mohit and Rajkumar Singh. The main shooters and their associates — Jharkhand residents Ankit Verma, Ashutosh Singh, Vishal Singh, Akash Kumar Prasad, Yashraj and Jitendra Kumar Sahu — are still absconding. Police have announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information leading to their arrest.
Singh said that three of the accused rented a flat in Greater Noida near Sharma’s residence after learning that he frequently visited the area. However, they could not carry out the plan there. Verma secretly kept watch on Sharma and joined the same gym in November that Sharma used to visit in Dehradun. Since the victim did not go to the gym regularly, Verma monitored his activities for nearly two months to track his routine and timing.
Police said that the accused had brought a vehicle to Dehradun in November and parked it at the railway station. The shooters, who came from Jharkhand, stayed in Dehradun during different periods before the murder. They finalised their plan after gathering sufficient information about the victim’s movements.
On the day of the crime, two accused arrived on a scooty, while Prasad travelled by flight from Ranchi to Delhi and then reached Haridwar. All the accused met in Haridwar and stayed at a hotel. They shot Sharma dead the next day on February 13.
According to Singh, the victim did not share his travel plans or location details with anyone, which made it difficult for the accused to execute their plan earlier in Noida and Jamshedpur. Ashutosh and Vishal allegedly shot Sharma. After the murder, they fled the scene with the help of Prasad, who acted as the biker facilitating their escape. Police have recovered the vehicles used in the crime.
The SUV used in the escape was recovered in Greater Noida from the possession of Thakur, a BBA first-year student at a private university in Noida. He was brought to Dehradun for questioning and later arrested for his involvement in the conspiracy.
Dehradun SSP Pramendra Dobal said the two arrested accused helped in providing logistical support to the main conspirators. Rajkumar Singh is expected to provide vital clues regarding the conspiracy and possible links to the other accused. Officials said digital evidence recovered from devices may help establish connections between the suspects and reveal further details about the planning and execution of the crime. Dobal added that gang rivalry appears to be the motive behind the murder. Police teams are investigating the Jharkhand-based gang allegedly involved in the crime. The weapons used in the murder have not yet been recovered
