Petrol trail leads police to Sarkhej murder accused; 3 arrested

Ahmedabad: The discovery of a burning body at 4am on Tuesday put the Sarkhej patrolling team on high alert. As the body was found ablaze, officers suspected the use of petrol to set it on fire. They immediately began scanning CCTV footage and spotted a person purchasing petrol in a container.This key lead helped police arrest three men for the murder of Javed Sipai, a resident of Sarkhej. Those arrested were identified as Jitendra Chunara, 35, a Sarkhej resident, and Jagdish Thakore, 24, and Deepal Raval, 21, both hailing from Kamod village in Daskroi. "The accused killed Sipai as they suspected he was a police informer and believed he had tipped off the police about an illegal liquor operation involving Chunara. A Prohibition Act case had earlier been registered against Chunara in Matar," said zone VII deputy commissioner of police Shivam Varma. He said all three were arrested within hours based on evidence collected from a petrol pump. "The body was completely charred and unidentifiable. Initial findings suggested it had been set on fire using petrol or diesel. Police subsequently formed multiple teams along with the local crime branch, zone 7," said a police official. "Nearby petrol pumps were scanned for suspicious fuel purchases after confirming petrol was used to burn the body. During the process, CCTV footage revealed a person buying fuel in a container, though his identity was initially unknown," police said. Later, using technical inputs, human intelligence and video footage, the accused were identified. "The men avoided using mobile phones, knowing this could lead to tracking, making the investigation challenging," senior officers said. Despite this, sustained human intelligence helped police trace the trio while they were attempting to flee Ahmedabad. They were intercepted near Sarkhej Ujala Circle and detained while travelling in an autorickshaw.