KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, July 28: Gangster Amarnath Singh was gunned down by three camouflaged shooters near Basukinath temple in Dumka district late last night while six of his associates were arrested following an encounter with police in Ghatsila around the same time.
A resident of Gaud Bustee in Mango, Amarnath Singh had gone to Basukinath temple along with his family after performing ‘Jalabhishek’ for the Lord Shiva in the Baba Dham when he fell victim to the assailants at around 11.30 pm on Thursday.
The slain gangster who had a rivalry with Ganesh Singh had plans to return to Jamshedpur after visiting Tarapith and was waiting for the car to leave for his next destination when the gun-shot attack was launched.
As the street where the murder took place was bustling with saffron-clad devotees, the shooters were also suspected to have hidden behind the same apparel before coming close to Amarnaath for the shooting.
A few close associates who had accompanied the gangster to the pilgrimage are learned to have told the police that the attack must have been conspired by Ganesh Singh, who is also a gangster operating in the steel city, especially in the Mango area.
On the other hand, about a dozen criminals were challenged by the police while the former were merrymaking at a dhaba along the NH-33 under the Ghatsila thana area late in the night.
As the police were tipped off about the presence of the criminals, they swooped over the eatery dutifully. On seeing the police party several of the criminals had managed to flee the spot, but some others opened fire on the police. In retaliation, the police also fired shots, causing one of the goons to sustain a bullet injury in the leg.
The police had subsequently succeeded to nab six of the criminals. The one who sustained the bullet injury was later identified as Sajan Mishra, a close associate of the slain gangster Amarnath Singh.
Significantly, Sajan Mishra and a few others had three days ago injured a local businessman by hitting with a pistol butt inside the premises of Sahara City, a housing colony in Mango.
The police are interrogating those arrested in Ghatsila.