3 arrested for murder of Suresh Raina's relatives
Three members of an inter-state gang of robbers have been arrested for the murdering cricketer Suresh Raina's two relatives in Pathankot on August 19. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Wednesday that with the arrests, the case of the attack and murder had been solved. However, 11 other accused remain on the run. Here are further details.
According to a report in NDTV, Mr Gupta the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case received a tip earlier this week that the three arrested suspects - identified as Sawan (alias Matching), Muhobbat and Shahrukh Khan, all residents of Rajasthan - were holed up in slum dwellings near the Pathankot Railway Station.
The police raid saw two wooden sticks (presumably used as weapons), two gold rings and cash worth Rs. 1,530, being recovered. The accused told the police they were part of a gang that had committed similar crimes across parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and even Jammu and Kashmir. They jumped from one location to another by following landmarks such as canals and railway lines.
The report adds that the suspects hit the victims on the head before moving through the house, attacking others and escaping with cash and gold ornaments, DGP Gupta said. The robbers escaped, separated into groups of two or three and reached the railway station, where they divided the spoils and dispersed. Meanwhile, one accused on the run has been identified as search continues.
The incident took place in Thariyal village in Punjab's Pathankot district on August 20. According to the police, five members of a notorious gang, who had come with an intention to rob, attacked Ashok Kumar and his family members at their house in Pathankot. At the time of the attack, the family members were sleeping on the terrace.
Earlier, Raina shared the incident through a series of tweets. "What happened to my family in Punjab was beyond horrible. My uncle was slaughtered to death, my bua & both my cousins had severe injuries. Unfortunately, my cousin also passed away last night after battling for life for days. My bua is still very very critical & is on life support." wrote Raina.
Meanwhile, Raina is set to miss the impending IPL edition. However, Chennai Super Kings informed about the development on Twitter, stating the 33-year-old has opted out due to personal reasons. The announcement had come a day after several members of the CSK contingent were tested positive for COVID-19. Last month, he announced retirement from international cricket.
"We don't know what exactly had happened that night & who did this. I request @PunjabPoliceInd to look into this matter. We deserve to know who did this heinous act to them. Those criminals should not be spared to commit more crimes," he added.
