RJD leader Dina murdered for 25 kattha land: Patna SSP

PATNA: Patna police SSP

Manu Maharaaj

on Wednesday said that slain RJD leader

Dina Gope

alias Dina Yadav (52) was gunned down due to dispute over a land plot of around 25 kattha located at Harnichak under

Gardanibagh police station

area in Patna whose market price is above Rs 25 crore.

The SSP said that the facts surfaced after a police team nabbed notorious criminal Vikash Singh (48) from Kokar under Sadar police station area at Ranchi in Jharkhand on Tuesday. Vikash is the first suspect to be arrested in the murder case which took place more than 20 days back. He was brought to Patna on Wednesday on a transit remand.

"Vikash had supplied an AK-47 assault rifle and a US manufactured pistol to one another Dina Yadav of Karorichak under Phulwarisharif police station area for killing the RJD leader," the SSP said.

Dina, also a former councillor of ward number 10 was gunned down in front of his residence near Manikchand Talab in Bangali Tola under Gardanibagh police station area in Patna on May 12.

His wife Amravati Devi was also a former deputy mayor of Patna municipal corporation (PMC). Two relatives of Dina had also received gunshot injuries in the shootout which took place at around 4.30am when they all had returned from marriage in Beur locality. Seven empty cartridges including six of AK-47 were recovered from spot.

Maharaaj said Dina of Karorichak had paid more than Rs 30 lakh to another criminal

Bhola Rai

of Parsa Bazar for neutralizing the RJD leader due to the land dispute.

"It was Bhola and his few other associates who had reached the spot in a black car and shot dead Dina using the AK-47 and pistols supplied to him by Vikash," he said adding Vikash had complete knowledge of the conspiracy to kill the RJD leader.

"Dina of Karorichak, Bhola and rest other were still evading arrest but would be nabbed soon," the SSP said.

Police sources said around Rs 8 lakh was charged from Bhola to rent him the assault rifle for killing Dina.

"A JD(U) leader belonging from minority community was next target of Vikash before which he got nabbed," sources said.

Police said that Dina is accused in at least 32 murder and extortion cases lodged with different police stations in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. "He is also wanted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a murder case of two businessmen in Kolkata in 2014," police said adding Vikash was lodged in Beur central jail from 2003 to 2010.