Dismissed SHO held in suicide case of Mahoba trader

Police here on Wednesday arrested the dismissed SHO who was found guilty of corruption and abetting the suicide of a trader by a special investigation team, according to an official. Devendra Shukla has been on the run after the incident over two months ago. Stone trader Indrakant Tripathi (44) was found injured in his car with gunshot wounds on September 8 after he accused the then Mahoba SP, Manilal Patidar, of corruption. He died at a hospital on September 13.

Shukla’s services were terminated last month after the special investigation team (SIT) probing the incident found him guilty of corruption and abetment to suicide. Shukla was arrested from the Mahobkanth police station area near Jhansi district on Wednesday afternoon, Mahoba SP Arun Kumar Srivastava said. He said Manilal Patidar and dismissed constable Arun Kumar Yadav are still absconding and efforts are on to nab them.

Earlier, a Indrakant Tripathi’s brother had alleged that Patidar had demanded Rs 6 lakh in bribe from the victim and threatened to kill him or frame him in a case if the amount was not paid. The SIT, however, concluded that Tripathi died by suicide. Its probe found that the bullet was fired from his licensed pistol from the front and it pierced through his neck and got entangled in the car seat behind, police had said.

Patidar was suspended immediately after the incident and a vigilance probe was ordered into his wealth..