Brother among accused in Jharkhand murder case, Delhi cops nab suspect
Delhi Police arrested a Jharkhand murder suspect who was in hiding in the national Capital, nearly 10 days after a man from Sahibganj district went missing and was later discovered dead in a forested area.
Investigators linked the killing to a drunken argument involving the victim’s own brother and friends.
According to the Crime Branch, the suspect, identified as Sukhdev Murmu alias Tala, was caught near Hanuman Mandir in Yamuna Bazar on May 24 following a tip-off that he had fled to Delhi after the murder of Champai Marandi in Jharkhand’s Borio region.
Police said the case was initially registered as a kidnapping at Borio police station in Sahibganj district after Champai Marandi went missing under suspicious circumstances on May 21.
Investigators discovered that the deceased was last seen drinking with Sukhdev, the victim’s brother, Babuji Marandi, and another associate, Mangal Tudu. During their meeting on May 12, an argument allegedly broke out among the group, after which the suspect strangled Champai Marandi to death.
Police alleged that after the murder, the suspect concealed the body in a jungle in an attempt to destroy evidence before fleeing the village to evade arrest. Delhi Crime Branch obtained information about Sukhdev Murmu’s presence in Yamuna Bazar, and this was shared with Jharkhand Police, who confirmed that the suspect had been absconding in relation to the murder case.
A Crime Branch team then set a trap near Hanuman Mandir and arrested the suspect after sustained surveillance and technical monitoring, police said.
During questioning, Sukhdev Murmu allegedly admitted that he had helped the co-accused in the murder following the quarrel during their meeting in Jharkhand.
Police said the suspect, a native of Sahibganj district, worked as a farm labourer and was addicted to alcohol.
Following the arrest, Jharkhand Police arrived in Delhi and took the suspect on transit remand after completing legal formalities in court.