STF arrests prime suspect in 2022 Bilaspur murder case

Varanasi: The UP Special Task Force (STF) has successfully apprehended a prime suspect in the high-profile murder of a real estate trader in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, in 2022.The STF's Varanasi field unit, led by deputy SP Shailendra Pratap Singh, arrested the accused, Vinay Kumar Dwivedi alias Basu alias Guruji from Chamrauha village in the Manikpur police station area of Chitrakoot on Friday night. The STF recovered a pistol and live cartridges from him.The STF revealed that Dwivedi had been on the run for nearly three years, constantly changing locations to evade police in Chhattisgarh and other states. He had recently taken refuge in Varanasi, where the STF tracked him down. Dwivedi was wanted for the 2022 murder of Sanjeev Tripathi, a real estate trader who was also a office-bearer of a political party. Tripathi was shot dead by two car-borne assailants, including Dwivedi, in Bilaspur.During questioning by STF officials, Dwivedi revealed that he came to Varanasi at the invitation of his accomplice Ajaz alias Sonu, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 lakh, from Pratapgarh. He further disclosed that in 2022, he, along with his associates Ajaz alias Sonu, Danish Ansari, Pappu Dadhi, Prasoon Gupta, and others, finalised the strategy to kill Tripathi on the orders of his brother Kapil Tripathi due to personal enmity.Dwivedi also revealed that in 2019, he, along with his associates, murdered BHU student Gaurav Singh over a personal feud. After this murder, he was arrested and lodged in Varanasi jail. While serving his sentence, he came into contact with Ajaz's brother, and after his release, he got involved in criminal activities with them. A total of 10 cases are lodged against him with the Varanasi, Chhattisgarh and Noida police.The arrest team included STF Varanasi field unit Sub-Inspector Angad Yadav, Shahzada Khan and Vinay Maurya, among others.