6 arrested with arms after firing at garment showroom over ransom demand in Jharkhand

JAMSHEDPUR: Six men were arrested with arms and ammunition in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur for allegedly opening fire at a garment showroom over a ransom demand, police said on Wednesday.According to police, the incident took place on May 15 when five armed men travelling in a car allegedly fired at a garment showroom in the Town Council market area of Jugsalai after their ransom demand was not met. The accused also allegedly carried out the attack to establish dominance in the area.Addressing a press conference, SP (City) Lalit Meena said a case was registered on May 17 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.Following directives from East Singhbhum senior superintendent of police Piyush Pandey, a special investigation team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Tauquir Alam was formed to track down and arrest the accused.SP (City) Lalit Meena said investigators identified the suspects as members of a gang headed by notorious criminal Manish Singh, based on technical evidence, eyewitness statements and CCTV footage.Acting on a tip-off received on Tuesday, police conducted raids at multiple locations in and around the Jugsalai and Burmamines areas and arrested six accused — Abhisekh Srivastav alias Aryan (24), Rahul Singh alias Badku (25), Harpreet Singh Bhawnra alias Happy (21), Rahul Singh alias Getlu, Baneshwar Namta alias Manas (45), and Ankit Khatik alias Ankit Sonkar (24), he added.During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to their involvement in the firing incident, the SP said.Based on their disclosures, police recovered four country-made pistols, five live cartridges, three empty magazines, one spent cartridge, six Android mobile phones, and the car allegedly used in the crime.Police said four of the accused — Rahul Singh alias Badku, Harpreet Singh, Ankit Sonkar and Baneshwar Namta — have prior criminal records. Namta, a resident of the neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district, is facing five pending cases registered at police stations in Seraikela-Kharsawan and West Bengal’s Purulia district.All six accused have been remanded to judicial custody, police added.(With agency inputs)