Four arrested in Sonari mall firing case, held near Raipur Toll Plaza
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Jamshedpur, September 28: Police have arrested four persons in connection with the firing at the Udupi restaurant inside…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Jamshedpur, September 28: Police have arrested four persons in connection with the firing at the Udupi restaurant inside Bindal Mall in Sonari on Saturday afternoon. The accused were intercepted near a toll plaza in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, while allegedly fleeing after the attack.
According to police, the four suspects initially fled in two separate vehicles after the shooting. One of the vehicles reportedly developed a snag on the way, forcing all four to shift to the other vehicle and continue towards Chhattisgarh.
Acting on information that the suspects were heading towards Chhattisgarh, a special investigation team (SIT) tracked their movements and intercepted them near a toll plaza in Raipur.
Police teams had earlier conducted raids at several suspected hideouts, including locations in West Bengal, while gathering information about the accused, their associates and possible escape routes.
The firing took place around 1.30 pm on Saturday when Domnic Samson, a JMM activist, Rizwan, Dilshad and Krishna Choudhary were having food at the Udupi restaurant.
Police said three masked assailants arrived on a motorcycle, after which two of them entered the restaurant and allegedly opened fire.
Around 11 rounds were fired, triggering panic among customers and staff and causing chaos inside the mall.
Four people sustained injuries in the firing and were rushed to Tata Main Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
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CCTV, Technical Evidence Help Investigation
Soon after the incident, senior police officers, including Kolhan DIG Anuranjan Kispotta and East Singhbhum SSP Ehtesham Waqarib, reached the spot and supervised the investigation.
Police recovered empty cartridges and other evidence from the scene and examined CCTV footage from the mall and restaurant. Surveillance footage, along with technical evidence, provided clues about the movements of the assailants and the vehicle allegedly used during their escape.
Based on these inputs, investigators traced the suspected route taken by the accused and intensified the search.
Land, Railway Contract Dispute Under Probe
The arrests were made by the SIT constituted under the direction of the SSP following coordinated action at multiple locations.
Preliminary investigation has indicated a possible connection between the firing and a dispute linked to the land business and railway contracting, police said.
Investigators are examining all possible angles to establish the exact motive behind the attack and determine the specific role of each arrested accused.
Police are also analysing CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the sequence of events and ascertain whether any other persons were involved in planning or executing the attack.
