Balai tried to trick a policeman earlier

Ahmedabad: Did sub inspector Kiran Chaudhary and his superiors ignore the warning of a constable who was watching the alleged cop killer Manish Balai on April 19? Crime sources said Balai was picked up from Memco in Naroda on April 19, Tuesday, and on that night one another constable had been entrusted with interrogating him.

At about 3 am on Wednesday, Balai who was handcuffed to the wall urged the constable to free him so he could use the toilet. “The constable grew suspicious and didn't free Balai, instead he handcuffed his other hand as well,“ said a crime branch source.

Crime branch sources said the constable remained alert throughout the night but to his astonishment PSI Kiran Chaudhary did not return early on Wednesday morning.

“The constable told his colleagues that Balai didn't seem to be trustworthy and they should have come in early in the morning,“ added a source.

Many in crime branch believe that had the words of the constable been taken with caution, Chandrakant would not been brutally murdered on Wednesday night.

However, senior crime branch officials are tightlipped about the incident and say the matter is covered in the inquiry.