Gym owner thrashes woman toll collector, held

Was involved in 2011 murder at toll plaza

A 40-year-old gym owner has been arrested for allegedly beating up a woman toll collector over payment of charges at Kherki Daula toll plaza here on Friday. The accused allegedly threatened to kill and rape the woman.

The accused Manjeet, a Shikopur resident, was a co-accused in a 2011 murder case wherein his friend Vijay Veer had shot dead a toll collector at Kherki Daula toll plaza over payment of toll charges. Vijay had allegedly shot Umesh Kumar Pandey on September 23, when he was returning home in his white Balero. He then sent Manjeet to inquire about the health of the attendant and he was captured on the CCTV cameras. Manjeet was acquitted in the case.

Threatens her of rape

According to the police, the woman was manning lane no. 27 when Manjeet came in his SUV around 9 a.m. He refused to pay the toll charges claiming that he was a “local”. When the woman demanded the registration certificate of the vehicle for confirmation, he allegedly abused her and bragged that he was the same person who had shot a man in 2011. He said that he was a “muscle-man” and was allowed to go without producing any documents. Threatening to abduct and rape the woman, the accused punched and slapped her causing her to bleed from the nose.

Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case and arrested the accused. Manjeet was earlier booked in a murder case in 2011 and under Essential Commodities Act in 2008. He was arrested with illegal weapon in 2018, said the police. The vehicle used in commission of crime has also been seized, they added.

Another incident

In another case, a motorist hit toll employee Dinesh on lane no. 23 while driving away without paying the toll charges. Dinesh sustained injuries and was admitted to hospital. Toll plaza manager Ramesh Yadav has given a complaint to the police in this connection.