The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested the alleged main accused in the brutal murder of freelance journalist Chandrika Rai, his wife and two children at Umaria in Madhya Pradesh in 2012.
The agency has identified the alleged mastermind as Dharneesh Singh, a contractor from Shahdol in MP, whose fingerprints were purportedly found at the scene of crime. He is the second person to have been arrested in the case so far.
The journalist, his wife Durga, son Jalaj and daughter Nisha were found murdered at their residence on February 18, 2012. The MP police arrested his driver Ramesh Yadav in the case, claiming that he had confessed to have committed the murders.
“It was alleged that the entire family of the journalist was brutally murdered by unknown persons. The State Police arrested his driver and filed a charge sheet against him on May 26, 2012. However, Mr. Rai’s relatives approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a CBI probe. The High Court stayed the ongoing trial against the accused and passed an order for reinvestigation by the CBI,” said the official, adding that the case was handed over to the agency in January.
