UP gangster shot dead inside Dhanbad jail, weapon yet to be found

DHANBAD: UP gangster Aman Singh, lodged in Dhanbad jail in a case related to the murder of former deputy mayor Neeraj Singh, was shot on the jail premises on Sunday. The Dhanbad police and the district administration officials have identified the culprit as Sundar Mahto, who recently came to jail from the Putki police station in a bike theft case.

However, the weapon or weapons used in the crime are yet to be recovered.

The incident has once again raised questions on the security of Dhanbad jail. In June, Dhanbad police admitted that criminals, including Aman Singh, were running a ransom racket from inside jail, adding that he was accused of plotting the murders of BJP leaders Shailesh Patel of Balsad in Gujarat and Raju Jha of Asansol in West Bengal.

According to reports, an inmate approached Aman and shot him from point-blank range, killing him on the spot. Out of the seven bullets fired at him, two allegedly hit him in the head, one in the left eye, and four in the stomach. The jail authorities sounded the “Pagli Ghanti” and informed the district administration as well as the local police station. Aman was taken to the SNMMCH, Dhanbad, where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Aman was arrested by the Mirjapur police in Uttar Pradesh in May 2021 and handed over to the Dhanbad police for the crime he committed here.

Dhanbad SSP Sanjiv Kumar said they are still probing the matter from inside the jail.

Speaking to TOI, DC Varun Ranjan said the incident took place at about 3pm and the jail authorities provided information about hearing four shots. Refuting the news that there was any scuffle among the jail inmates that led to his killing, the DC said details would be shared after the police conclude their preliminary enquiry.

A three-member magisterial enquiry committee headed by additional collector Vinod Kumar with ADM (law and order) Kamlakant Gupta and SP (city) Ajit Kumar has been constituted to investigate the incident. Moreover, a judicial enquiry would also be conducted, DC Ranjan said.

When asked how the weapon was smuggled inside the jail and why nothing incriminating was found in the raid conducted inside the jail a week ago under his leadership, the DC said the particular incident would be part of the probe.

Earlier, Aman had expressed his fear to the jail authorities, saying that he might be killed inside the prison. He was exonerated by a Dhanbad court in a case related to the collection of ransom for want of evidence only on Saturday. He was exonerated in yet another case earlier as the police personnel failed to depose before the court.