Twin murder accused arrested after two years of crime

A Special Task Force team of the Uttar Pradesh police on Tuesday arrested a man wanted for allegedly killing a truck driver and his helper two years ago, officials said.

Accused Hitesh Mahendru alias Kalia had killed the duo in Sambhal district, dumped their bodies in a jungle and fled with their Canter truck containing a consignment of guthka (tobacco) worth over Rs 1 cr.

A native of Rohtash Nagar in Delhi's Shahdara region, 40-year-old Mahendru was picked up by the Noida unit of the STF from Loni area of Ghaziabad around 1.30 pm on Tuesday, an official said.

"We had got an input about his movement in Loni area today. Working on that, we laid a trap and arrested Mahendru. We also recovered a pistol and ammunition from him and his car was impounded," said STF's Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar Mishra.

He said the accused worked with his gang and the Canter he had looted in 2018 contained Shikhar Guthka worth over Rs 1 crore.

"In 2017 also, his gang had targeted a truck transporting gutkha. It was of Rajnigandha brand and its estimated worth was around Rs 1.5 crore," Mishra said.

After the 2017 loot, Mahendru was held by the police in Aligarh and jailed for two months but after that, he re-engaged Alon with his gang in criminal activities.

The gutkha looted by the gang would eventually be supplied in the market and they would make money from it, he said.

FIRs have been previously registered against him at police stations in Aligarh and Sambhal and a fresh case has been lodged in Ghaziabad, the STF said.

Further probe is being carried out by the local police station in Loni, the agency added.