Dumka: A joint team of the Bihar police’s special task force (STF) and Chhattisgarh police have arrested an accused from Deoghar district on Friday in the murder of jeweller Pradeep Soni and robbery case in Chhattisgarh’s Pendra on May 26.“The accused, Manish Mandal alias Nagmani, is among the most wanted criminals of Chhattisgarh who was apprehended from Deoghar and taken a couple of days ago in connection with the murder of a jeweller, after procuring transit remand from a local court,” Deoghar SP Praveen Pushkar said on Friday.Police said stolen jewellery looted during the crime was also recovered, including 50 grams of gold and 1 kg of silver ornaments.A native of Bihar’s Banka district, Mandal was hiding under a false identity in a rented room above an automobile parts shop near Ramchandrapur Mor along with another youth from his village, police said.“Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint team of Bihar STF and Chhattisgarh police, assisted by Jasidih police, conducted a raid and arrested him from the hideout,” said a police officer from Jasidih police station.Soni was shot dead by unidentified assailants on May 26. After the murder, the criminals fled with a bag containing jewellery. A case was registered at Pendra police station.Police said Mandal has criminal cases registered against him in Bihar and Chhattisgarh, including murder, robbery, dacoity and under the Arms Act.
