Even as anti-terror agencies of the Centre and UP grappled to piece the jigsaw to get a lead on the macabre murder of National Investigating Agency (NIA) Deputy SP, Tanzil Ahmed, the Bijnore Police cam up with a property angle as the most probable murder motive.
The NIA officer was perforated with 24 bullets fired from 9 mm handguns near his native Sahaspur village in Seohara police circle while returning from the wedding of his niece along with his wife and two kids around 1 am on Sunday.
His wife Farzana suffered four bullet wounds and was hospitalised in Noida.
Meanwhile CM Akhilesh Yadav on Monday announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the slain officer and asked DGP, Javeed Ahmed to assist Central agencies in nabbing the hitmen and crack the case.
An officer of the Bijnore Police said, "The probe so far has pointed towards the slain officer's keenness in purchasing a land tract in Binore, as one of the probable motives for the grisly murder. We are making concerted efforts to collect clinching evidence to buttress the theory."
The cop said that Ahmed's interest in buying the tract was jepopardised when the owner's brother insisted that the property remained with the family and he protested strongly.
The officer opined that inthe process of stalling the sale of land, the brother even offered to purchase it from the owner but when his efforts failed to cut ice, he might habe got the officer bumped off to send out a strong message.
The officer however added that the local probe team was iun the process of gathering evidence and were svanning the Call Detail Records (CDR) of the slain officer Ahmed and also the two brothers.
Besides, the police have also collected footage of Close Circuit Television set up near a college at Seohara and were scanning them for possible leads on the two hitmen who fled on bikesafter the killing.
The officer also did not rule out the gruesome murder as a possible terror act.
Meanwhile in lucknow, SSP (ATS) Umesh Srivastava told the media on Monday that an ATS team was in New Delhi and spoke to the family members of the slain officer for any possible leads.
Besides, the ATS team has also taken custody of vidoe clips of the marriage function of the Deputy SP's neice from where he as returning the fateful day. He said that the officer's wife, who also suffered gunshot wounds in the incident, was convalescing at a private hospital in Noida.
ATS (IG) Aseem Arun, STF (IG) Ram Kumar and officials of NIA were camping in Bijnore while UP Police has sent a report over the grisly killing to the Centre.