The city police on Sunday solved the mystery behind the sensational case of a person firing at policemen at the railway station here on December 9 and the case of double murder at Talaripalem in Gajuwaka in May with the arrest of three persons, including a dismissed constable of the CISF who had worked here in the past.
Investigation revealed that the dismissed constable Neeraj Kumar (29), Ankush Kumar (21), and Pulkit Kumar (20), all from Baaju village under Borakalal police station limits in Prabhuddanagar district in U.P., were involved in eight cases in which they threatened the victims with firearms and robbed them of gold, cash, and mobile phones. In two cases, they also took away the two-wheelers. Three firearms, some bullets, the two stolen vehicles, five mobile phones, a wrist watch, and gold ornaments weighing 18 tolas were recovered from them, Commissioner of Police J. Purnachandra Rao said at a press conference. Eight more persons, including four who had supplied weapons to the accused, were to be arrested, he added.
Cash reward
Mr. Purnachandra Rao handed over a cash reward of Rs. 1 lakh to the police team that solved the case and two boys who helped the police in cracking the mystery after they bought the mobile phones sold by the accused.
Neeraj Kumar worked as CISF constable at Visakhapatnam port from 2005 to 2009, but did not go to Raichur in Karnataka on transfer following which he was dismissed. He continued to stay in the city and had been committing offences with the help of young men he brought from his native place since January 2010. He was staying at a house in Sagarnagar and also took a room for rent at Jodugullapalem. His accomplices stayed in two hotels near the railway station.
Neeraj Kumar, along with Ankush Kumar, forced their way into the house of V. Saibaba at Talaripalem at around 8.30 p.m. on May 24 and demanded that the family members part with money and gold. When the inmates pleaded they were poor and had no money, the accused allegedly killed Saibaba and his son Naresh by firing at them. Another son Dinesh escaped as the gun misfired.
On December 9, Neeraj Kumar and Pulkit Kumar escaped after firing at the policemen keeping a watch at the railway station parking lot, where the accused parked the two-wheeler used in committing offences.
In most cases, the accused threatened the victims with firearms. In the case of snatching a gold chain and a two-wheeler from an assistant professor of ANITS Engineering College near Bheemli, they fired at a person who tried to chase them.
Deputy CP B. Balakrishna and other senior officers were present.
