Police form new cell to monitor contract killers
2
3
Patna: In the wake of a recent surge in killings by shooters, including high-profile murders like that of businessman Gopal Khemka and advocate Jitendra Mehta in Patna, Bihar Police Headquarters (PHQ) on Wednesday announced the formation of a special "Contract killer monitoring cell" to tackle professional hitmen.
Additional Director General (ADG) of PHQ Kundan Krishnan said the new cell, formed under the Bihar Special Task Force (STF), will maintain a comprehensive database of approximately 350 known contract killers, with their physical descriptions, addresses and other crucial details. "This database will aid in the quick identification of suspects through CCTV camera footage analysis, a method that has proven successful in recent cases," he said.
The move is expected to enhance the police's ability to prevent and solve such crimes through better intelligence gathering and interstate coordination.
The police have already established a "Kodha cell" to monitor the Kodha gang, whose operations extend beyond Bihar. The gang members primarily originate from three to four villages in the Kodha block of Katihar district. The cell helps other state police forces identify the Kodha gang members.
"Our intelligence unit, working with the Kodha Cell, has successfully solved 50 cases this year alone, both within Bihar and in other states, leading to the arrest of 70 criminals and recovery of more than Rs 55 lakh in criminal proceeds," said Krishnan.
Additionally, in a significant breakthrough in an ongoing anti-Maoist operations, the Bihar STF arrested 82 Maoists this year till July 15. Besides, two wanted Maoist leaders, including Ravan's aide and spokesperson Akhilesh Singh, have surrendered.
The continuous campaign has achieved a remarkable success in north Bihar, where their presence is completely eliminated.
In Magadh zone, only one wanted Maoist Nitesh Yadav remains at large, currently believed to be hiding in the hilly regions of Palamu district in Jharkhand. The JB zone reports only three armed Maoists remaining, the ADG said.
"The campaign has also dealt a significant blow to the Maoists' financial resources by destroying opium cultivation fields in the Magadh region, severely disrupting their supply network," Krishnan added.
During various raids, security forces recovered significant arms and ammunition, including two semi-automatic rifles and 67 PMK (machine gun).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
30-year-old woman found dead, in-laws booked for murder in Gurgaon Sector 37
Gurgaon: A 30-year-old married woman was found hanging in her room in Khanda village on Friday. Sector 37 police registered a murder case against her in-laws after her family alleged that she was murdered for dowry and her death was staged as a suicide. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Police informed that there were injury marks on the deceased Renu Chauhan alias Poonam's body. A police officer said, "We have registered a murder case following the complaint of the victim's brother and have started our investigation. We are awaiting the autopsy report for the appropriate action to ascertain if it was a murder or a suicide." Sahab Singh, her elder brother, told police that she was frequently tortured and assaulted for dowry by her in-laws. He said that her husband Rohit had sought Rs 2 lakh from them five months ago, following which he gave Rs 1.40 lakh by cheque. Singh told police that she informed them about her frequent quarrels with the family and that on Thursday, she called them and shared that she was assaulted by her husband. On Friday, the in-laws informed that she had hanged herself. The body was handed over to the family post-autopsy on Saturday. Renu, a native of Sultanpur, Hathras in Uttar Pradesh married Rohit Chauhan of Khanda village in 2018 and the couple have two children, a four-year-old son and a 16-month-old daughter. No arrest was made until the filing of the report.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
MUDA Case: SC Ruling Brings Relief For Siddaramaiah Amid Power-Sharing Dispute With Shivakumar
The order, which criticised the ED for being used in political battles, has landed in CM Siddaramaiah's favour at a time when his hold over the CM's chair was being questioned The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Karnataka High Court's ruling, which quashed the ED's plea to issue notices and summon Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife BM Parvathi in the MUDA land allotment case, has brought temporary legal relief and fresh political momentum. For Siddaramaiah, the timing could not have been more strategic. The pressure from his deputy DK Shivakumar's camp to honour an 'unwritten" power-sharing formula has been intense. The Supreme Court order, which criticised the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for being used in political battles, has landed squarely in Siddaramaiah's favour, strengthening his position just when his hold over the chief minister's chair was being questioned. 'This is a shot in the arm. The timing couldn't be better," said a close aide of Siddaramaiah, as talk of a mid-term transfer of power to Shivakumar resurfaced in party circles. At the heart of the controversy is the decision to allot 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to BM Parvathi as compensation for land inherited from her family and acquired by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Although this decision was made during the BJP's tenure, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India flagged procedural irregularities, opening the door for political attacks. The issue escalated when the ED entered the scene, summoning Parvathi and minister Byrathi Suresh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This brought the fight to the chief minister's doorstep, marking the first time a member of his family was directly in the spotlight. For someone who has built his reputation on a clean image without corruption charges, the MUDA case damaged his image. Even within the Congress, there were murmurs about whether he had slipped. The Supreme Court, however, firmly dismissed the ED's appeal while the Chief Justice of India (CJI) made a blunt remark: 'Let political battles be fought amongst the electorate. Why are you being used for it?" Siddaramaiah called it the 'slap of justice" on the face of the BJP and accused the Centre of engineering a political vendetta. The emotional tone of his response, that the case caused 'immense mental distress" to his family, was also politically calculated. He is once again positioning himself as the Congress CM who can stare down the BJP. A senior Congress leader, on condition of anonymity, said: 'He's the only one who can look Modi in the eye and say what he wants. The CBI and ED can't touch him as he has remained non-corrupt, and this verdict reinforces that image. He'll use this to raise his profile in the state as well as nationally." In Delhi, the messaging has been equally clear. At the recent Congress OBC Advisory Council meeting in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah not only presided but did so with the weight of someone not planning to exit. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior Congress leaders pronounced Siddaramaiah as the CM, while insiders said that he made it clear to the high command, during the closed-door meetings, that he will abide by their decision but hopes to finish his five-year term. The Shivakumar factor, however, remains unresolved. What will be the stance when the high command asks Siddaramaiah to hand over the reins to his current deputy? At a Sadhana Samavesha event in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah's refusal to even name his deputy on stage raised eyebrows and confirmed what many have suspected. When reminded by a party worker to include Shivakumar's name in his speech, he said: 'DK Shivakumar is in Bengaluru and not on stage. We only welcome those present here. We cannot extend greetings to someone sitting at home." It wasn't just irritation. It was a signal. With pressure building from Shivakumar's supporters and talk of rotation agreements resurfacing, Siddaramaiah's very public rebuke made one thing clear: he's not going anywhere. The MUDA case had put Siddaramaiah in a tight spot, not just as CM, but on a personal level. It also came at a time when he took over the reins as the Congress CM for the second time, particularly as a strong OBC leader alongside Kharge. The fact that it involved his wife, even if the land was later returned, complicated the narrative and the 'clean record" he had spent years cultivating. 'The best part about Siddaramaiah is his moral clarity. He's never wavered from his support for marginalised communities and backward classes. He represents a voice that has long been ignored and maligned," said political analyst Harish Ramaswamy. 'Unlike many OBC leaders, Lalu and others, who've been tainted by scams, Siddaramaiah has largely kept a clean image. That's what gives him the moral strength to challenge even PM Modi." Ramaswamy said in the MUDA case, too, his wife should have avoided the allotment altogether. 'That is one visible weak spot. When I've met him, even in his own home, it's clear that he keeps his wife away from public life. So, this case came as a surprise. Fourteen sites allotted to her raised questions. It perplexed many," he said. So, will the Supreme Court ruling help him in the long run? It looks like. 'It definitely will. He's the kind of leader who knows how to use a moment like this. He speaks his mind, takes on the RSS and BJP openly, and nobody can intimidate him, not the CBI, not any agency, as he prides himself on his clean, corruption-free image," he added. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : muda scam Siddaramaiah view comments Location : Bengaluru, India, India First Published: July 22, 2025, 00:58 IST News politics MUDA Case: SC Ruling Brings Relief For Siddaramaiah Amid Power-Sharing Dispute With Shivakumar Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Got threat call in Punjabi after attack, says singer and rapper Fazilpuria
Gurgaon: Seven days after a bullet was allegedly fired at the car of singer and rapper (Fazilpuria) in Sector 71 on Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), he revealed he had received a threatening phone call in Punjabi "on the same evening". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking to the media on Monday, Fazilpuria dismissed theories he had orchestrated the attack to have his security reinstated. The singer also dismissed an alleged claim of a loan amounting to Rs 5 crore — mentioned in a post by a gangster after the attack — and questioned its authenticity. Sharing details of the incident, the singer said he had left his office in Fazilpur for his home when a car approached from the rear. "Two men sitting behind were looking at me. I mistook them as fans. The men in that car intercepted my vehicle, following which I stopped near a divider. Two men stepped outside the car and I still thought that those were my fans and wanted to meet me. I was shocked to see one of them holding a weapon, following which I reversed my car and escaped while they fired at me," Fazilpuria said, adding he was alone on July 14 while heading home. Regarding threats, the singer said after he protested against the gangsters responsible for the killing of Punjabi singer , he received multiple threats and subsequently received security from the Haryana police. "My security was withdrawn 20 days prior to the attack on me. After the security was withdrawn, I requested the Gurgaon commissioner for a review. He said my plea was under consideration. After the attack on me, I was even under police scanner as there was a theory that I might have staged it, which is not the case at all. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now I received a threat call in Punjabi and some other gang took responsibility on the same evening. I want the police to do a detailed investigation and nab the accused," the singer added. Following the attack, a viral message emerged in which Sunil Sardhania, an alleged member of the Himanshu Bhau gang, took responsibility for the shooting. The message said the firing was intended to warn the singer to repay Rs 5 crore to one Deepak Nandal within a month to avoid severe consequences. However, Fazilpuria, on Monday, denied the allegations of any such loan or investment, saying that he "never took any loan from Nandal, who was his old friend", and that all music labels had invested in his career. Two days after the attack, a suspect, identified as Vishal —25 year old— of Sonipat, was arrested from his village Jajal. Police are yet to arrest a co-accused.
