Two arrested for trying to kill UP politician

Two men were arrested here for trying to kill a Uttar-Pradesh based politician, police said on Tuesday.

Police said the accused have been identified as Joginder Kumar and Jeetu, both resident of Sabzi Mandi area in north Delhi. Joginder is involved in 100 cases of theft, robbery, dacoity and under the Arms Act.

According to police, they took a contract to kill Santosh Kumar Tripathy, an aspiring MLA candidate of Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, with Rs 5 lakh from his relative and former employee Dashrath Mishra, who now runs a transport company in Bhalaswa Dairy.

Police said Tripathy complained to police on August 25 that as he was going to Daya Basti at around 11.45 p.m. when some unidentified person shot at his car with a intention to kill him.

"During investigation, police received a tip off that the persons who shot at Tripathy's car are Joginder and Jeetu. They were arrested near to Red Fort after a trap was laid at Shanti Van road following a tip off," said a senior police officer said.

"They revealed to police that Dashrath who was thrown out from job and was insulted by Tripathy, had given them contract to kill him and gave Rs 50,000 in advance," said Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Ravindra Yadav.

Yadav said Joginder was also involved in a case of firing at a police party in 2010.

--IANS

sp/vd