THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Feb 2: Haidernagar police in Palamu pulled off a Sherlock Holmes-style investigation, solving a murder case in just three hours. It’s not fiction—it’s a fact.
A 50-year-old man, Imamuddin Ansari, was gunned down around 2:15 PM on Friday. His lone assailant was caught with the murder weapon by 5:30 PM the same evening. Even the police may not have expected such a swift breakthrough.
Palamu police acted smartly, picking up crucial clues that led to quick results.
A Murder in Broad Daylight
The crime took place on one of Haidernagar’s busiest streets. Imamuddin was walking when his attacker, Mumtaz, approached from behind and shot him twice. Witnesses reported a heated exchange of words before the fatal gunfire. Within moments, a life was lost.
The murder was committed in broad daylight, right after the Friday congregational prayer. In such a crowded marketplace, it was impossible for people not to witness or hear about it. The timing, location, and circumstances were all striking: a Friday afternoon, post-prayer, in the town’s busiest trading hub—an unexpected setting for such a crime.
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However, SDPO Hussainabad, S. Mohammad Yakub, and his team acted swiftly. Within three hours, they cracked the case and arrested the killer with the weapon used in the crime.
A Race Against Time
The speed of the police action prevented any public unrest. No protestors had time to take to the streets, and no slogans were raised against law enforcement. The police moved fast, proving that criminals cannot escape justice.
The victim, Imamuddin Ansari, was 50 years old, while his killer, Md. Mumtaz Ahmad, was 36. Haidernagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Afzal Ansari and SDPO Hussainabad S. Mohammad Yakub led the investigation.
One striking coincidence in the case was that the victim, the perpetrator, the investigating officer, and the top cop all belonged to the same faith—an unusual occurrence in criminal cases. Despite this, the police upheld their professional neutrality and ensured justice without bias.
A Murder Driven by Animosity
Mumtaz could have chosen to kill Imamuddin in a secluded area, away from the police station. Instead, he committed the crime in a bustling market. Was it a moment of blind rage, or had he already decided that Imamuddin wouldn’t live another day?
At a press briefing on Saturday afternoon, SP Reeshma Ramesan confirmed that the case was solved in a record time of three hours, with the killer and the murder weapon recovered. Both the victim and the attacker were from the same village—Baherwa Kharn.
The two had previously worked together in Surat, where their relationship soured. Their enmity followed them back to their village in Palamu, where it ultimately led to murder.
While SP Ramesan refrained from calling it a premeditated murder, she strongly hinted that the crime stemmed from deep-seated animosity, rashness, and extreme passion fueled by mistrust.
The killer used a locally made 7.65mm pistol, which still had eight live rounds when recovered. Police also seized Mumtaz’s bloodstained pants and shoes, along with his mobile phone.
A Crime Amidst a Naxal Operation
Interestingly, the murder took place on a day when police and SDPO Yakub were already engaged in an anti-Naxal search operation. That same day, authorities recovered a 9kg IED.
