Ara: Bhojpur police claimed to have arrested the main accused, Chandan Singh, and two of his associates, Abhishek and Tipu, in the murder of retired customs officer Ram Kumar Singh (70), superintendent of police Awadhesh Dixit said at a news conference on Wednesday. Another accused, Manoj Singh alias Lucky, had been arrested earlier.Police have also seized a pistol, but its use in the crime is yet to be established.“During intensive raids over the past two days, the main accused, Chandan Singh, and his associate Abhishek were arrested at Kolkata airport, while Tipu was arrested from Ara on Tuesday night,” the SP said.Dixit said the investigation had uncovered an alleged land dispute as the motive behind the murder. According to him, Ram Kumar Singh had been in possession of a plot at Singahi village in Ara since 2006. The accused allegedly obtained power of attorney in 2025 and began registering portions of the land in other people’s names, despite the deceased having been in possession of it for nearly two decades.“During the investigation, it was found that Chandan and around 10 others had allegedly formed a syndicate to grab land and harass the original owners by fraudulently preparing land documents,” the SP said, adding that the investigation could reveal more such alleged syndicates in Bhojpur.Ram Kumar Singh was shot dead on the morning of Oct 15 near Jain College in Ara.Dixit said a special investigation team (SIT), led by Ara Sadar SDPO-I Sushil Kumar, was formed to investigate the murder and arrest those involved. Other senior police officers are also part of the team. The police began their investigation based on an FIR lodged by the deceased’s family and subsequently identified the alleged main accused, he added.The SP further alleged that the accused had planned the murder 20 to 25 days before the incident. According to him, Chandan and his associates transferred money from their bank accounts to their wives’ accounts, purchased new SIM cards and mobile phones, and created new accounts to evade police detection.“After the crime, Chandan and Abhishek fled to Siliguri and then Gangtok before they were arrested at Kolkata airport,” Dixit said.The SP also alleged that Chandan and his wife had released videos claiming innocence in an attempt to portray themselves as victims before the murder. He said police had gathered evidence against the accused, though the investigation was continuing.An FIR naming 14 people has been registered at Ara Nawada police station on the complaint of the deceased’s son. Four people, including a suspended SHO, a retired revenue official and two others, have been accused of conspiring in the murder, while 10 others have been charged with involvement in the killing.The SP said police had evidence against the arrested accused and would file a chargesheet and seek a speedy trial.praveensibu@gmail.com
