Jamshedpur, July 7 (IANS) Jharkhand Police have arrested four more accused in connection with the murder of Karni Sena youth leader Himanshu Singh in Jamshedpur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to nine, officials said on Tuesday.

Several sharp-edged weapons, including a chopper, axe, bhujali, and knives, allegedly used in the crime, have also been recovered from the possession of the accused.

The main accused, Vishwanath Mandal, alias Bodra, however, remains absconding, with a reward of Rs 2 lakh announced for information leading to his arrest.

The latest arrests include Lakhindra Lohar, Jagdish Mandal, and Vijay Mahanand, along with a juvenile.

Police said CCTV footage gathered during the investigation established Lohar’s active involvement in the crime, leading to his arrest.

Acting on the directions of the newly appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), six Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been constituted to probe the case. The teams are carrying out raids in Jharkhand as well as other states based on technical evidence and intelligence inputs in an effort to track down the remaining accused.

Earlier, police had arrested Neeraj Singh, owner of Double Down Bar and a BJP leader, from the Khatu Shyamji area of Rajasthan on Sunday evening. He is being brought to Jamshedpur on transit remand. Police claim that his role also surfaced during the investigation into the incident.

The prime accused, Vishwanath Mandal alias Bodra, has been on the run since the murder. Police have announced a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to his capture and have assured complete confidentiality to anyone providing credible inputs regarding his whereabouts.

The murder took place on the night of June 27 outside Double Down Bar in Bistupur, Jamshedpur, where Karni Sena leader Himanshu Singh was allegedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons and killed. Preliminary investigations suggested that the dispute escalated after Singh objected to the alleged harassment of women.

The incident had sparked widespread criticism of the police response, prompting the Jharkhand government to take action against several police officials, including the then SSP.

The investigation is underway, with police intensifying efforts to apprehend the absconding accused and uncover the full conspiracy behind the murder.

–IANS

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