The Panchkula police on Saturday arrested three main accused, Bhupinder Babbu, state president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC); Shyam Lal Tagra, local BJP leader; and Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Pinjore, in the killing of 25-year-old Vikram in Kalka on Thursday evening.
Panchkula DCP Rajender Kumar Meena said the accused would be produced before the court on Sunday. Meanwhile, police teams are conducting raids to arrest the remaining accused, he said.
Sources said Babbu and Tagra were arrested from the Delhi airport as they were planning to escape to Goa.
Vikram, a resident of Ghatiwala village in Kalka, was allegedly gunned down by the accused. The attack was the result of an old enmity between the BSB Sports Club, led by Bhupinder Babbu, and the Pinky Majrewala group, led by Yograj Pinky. There have been shootouts between these two groups earlier also.
Both these groups were involved in illegal mining, property business and other businesses. Deceased Vikram was a friend of Yograj.
The attackers, who were 30 in number, had information about Yograj sitting in an SUV. But he had left minutes before the attack. The attackers, who came on six vehicles, opened fire on Vikram and his friends while they were sitting in the SUV and were planning to celebrate Vikram’s birthday on June 28. The attackers fled the spot within 10 minutes.
On a complaint of Yograj, the Panchkula police had lodged an FIR against 16 persons under Section 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 427 (damage to property), 149 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 120-B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 25 of the Arms Act at the Kalka police station.
There was a massive protest by the victims’ families and villagers on Friday. They had told the police to arrest the attackers by Saturday evening or else they would block the Kalka-Shimla National Highway.
Earlier, family members and friends of the deceased, Vikram, had identified eight assailants. Empty bullet shells recovered from the murder spot pointed towards the use of short-range and long-range pistols in the crime. Panchkula DCP Rajender Kumar Meena had said six teams had been formed to arrest the assailants.
As the police have arrested three main accused in the Kalka murder case, Vikram’s family will now cremate him on Sunday.
