The Dehradun police arrested three men accused in the armed loot with petrol pump owner Gagan Bhatiya in Premnagar. According to Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nivedita Kukreti, the loot had no connection with any of the 12 employees working in the petrol station. The amount looted was Rs 2,25,000 of which Rs 1,74,140 has been recovered. Police teams are trying to locate to fourth accused.
The arrested accused men have been identified as Kamendra (37), Dipin Kumar (23) and Rohan Rathi (22). The accused still on the run is Ajay (32). All are natives of Bijnor (UP) and have cases registered against them there. To avoid being arrested there they rented rooms in Dehradun.
Kukreti said, “There are eight cases registered against Kamendra who shot Bhatiya, 13 cases against Rathi and two against Dipin. The cases vary from Gangster Act to attempted murder. During interrogation Dipin and Rathi said that they were trying to start a new life here, but then Kamendra came with this plan to earn some fast cash. They all came in contact with each other in Bijnor jail.”
When asked about how they managed to escape, she said “After the incident all the routes were being checked by the police, so to avoid any confrontation they stayed in the wooded part of tea state, after which they went from Dudhli to Doiwala and then Haridwar to reach Roorkee. In Roorkee they bought clothes and went ahead.”
She added, “The victim was chosen randomly. Kamendra shot Bhatiya to scare him while he was in a scuffle with Ajay. Two motorbikes were used in the crime of which one has been recovered with two guns.”