Cops seek accused’s custody 2 months after Moti Goyal’s murder

NOIDA: The city police have sought the custody of Harendra Pradhan, who is accused of hiring two youths to kill land mafioso Moti Goyal on April 16. The cops have sought Harendra’s custody for at least five days.

Harendra is the husband of Sangeeta Nagar, who was the pradhan of Kanarsi village from 2012-2017. Although he is said to have given the directions to the youths — Amit and Rahul — to kill Goyal, police believe Harendra had planned the murder at the behest of someone else.

According to Dankaur police, Harendra has as many as 13 cases of loot, attempt to murder, and under provisions of the Gangster’s Act and Arms Act against him.

It took around a month for Noida police to apply for Harendra’s remand as he could not be produced in court on May 16 by the Tihar jail authorities despite a warrant issued in his name.

Swetabh Pandey, circle officer III, said that Harendra was eventually produced in court when a warrant was issued against him for the second time. “We have now sought a police remand for him for at least five days. We are awaiting the court order granting the remand,” he said.

Though Harendra had told mediapersons that he had killed Moti over a property dispute, sources are convinced that he had acted on someone’s directions.

Asked why they had failed to produce Harendra in court the first time, additional inspector-general (Tihar) Raj Kumar said he would seek details about the jail he had been lodged and when a warrant was issued against him.

“There is no deliberate delay in production of an accused. In case we get a warrant late, some delay might happen,” he said.