Bhopal/Damoh, May 14 (IANS) Investigation into the death of former BJP Mandal President Devendra Rajput has revealed a calculated murder conspiracy disguised as a road accident, police officials said on Thursday.

The initial probe report suggested the 45-year-old leader died following a collision with a Scorpio on the Damoh-Sagar State Highway within the Dehat Police Station (Rural Police Station) jurisdiction.

However, police now said that three individuals conspired to kill Rajput by deliberately running him over near the Horticulture Department office while he was on his way back home from the Laxman Kuti Temple.

The incident, which occurred last Tuesday in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, initially appeared to be a tragic traffic mishap.

Witnesses at the scene provided chilling details, noting that the driver of the Scorpio did not simply hit the victim and flee, but he reversed the vehicle and ran over Rajput a second time to ensure the act was fatal before speeding away. Devendra Rajput died on the spot due to the severity of his injuries.

As the investigation progressed, authorities reviewed CCTV footage and gathered eyewitness accounts that contradicted the accident narrative.

The discovery of an abandoned Scorpio on the Jabalpur Bypass road provided a critical breakthrough for the Police team. While the police initially proceeded under the assumption of a road accident, uncovering an old rivalry involving the leader provided a clear motive for foul play, police officials told the media on Thursday.

Anand Kaladgi, Superintendent of Police (Damoh), who visited the crime scene personally, formed a special team to track the suspects. A formal murder case was registered against the then-unidentified individuals as the manhunt began.

Within just one day of the intensive search, the police successfully took two of the three accused individuals into custody. The third suspect remains at large.

This discovery has sent shockwaves through the local community, as the evidence confirms that the killers sought to use the anonymity of a highway collision to mask a pre-planned execution. The authorities continue their in-depth investigation to bring the final culprit to justice.

–IANS

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