Kathua, May 19 (JKNS): In a major breakthrough, Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kathua solved a blind murder case within four days, arrested the accused from Himachal Pradesh and recovered the weapon of offence used in the crime, officials said on Tuesday.
An official told news agency JKNS that, During the intervening night of 15/16 May 2026, Police Station Lakhanpur received information regarding the shooting death of a person at village Dhanna. The deceased was identified as Roop Singh, a resident of Dhanna, who was working as a contractor. Acting promptly on the information, FIR No. 51/2026 was registered at Police Station Lakhanpur under Section 103 BNS and Sections 3/25 of the Arms Act.
Considering the seriousness of the offence, the investigation was immediately taken up under the close supervision of senior officers, official said.
Special investigation team led by DSP DAR Bhagwan Das Dandiya alongwith SHO Lakhanpur Neeraj Chaudhary was constituted, and the case was monitored closely to ensure that no lead was overlooked, official said.
Police teams inspected the crime scene, collected technical and scientific evidence, and conducted extensive questioning and verification in the surrounding area. During the course of investigation, several suspicious individuals were examined, an official added.
It emerged that one individual, identified as Sardar Singh S/o Hari Singh, resident of Tridwan, Tehsil and District Kathua, had gone missing after the incident without informing his family members, which raised strong suspicion against him.
Preliminary investigation and interrogation revealed that the accused had been working as a labourer for the deceased and had an outstanding payment of approximately ₹6,000 pending against him.
A dispute over this payment had been ongoing, and due to anger and resentment arising from the issue, the accused allegedly planned the murder.
On the night of 15/16 May, he reportedly took his father’s 12-bore gun, went to the house of the deceased, and shot Roop Singh while he was sleeping near a window.
After committing the crime, he returned home and, upon noticing increased police activity in the area the following morning, fled in an attempt to avoid suspicion.
Immediately after the incident, multiple police teams were constituted to trace and apprehend the accused.
Continuous raids and search operations were carried out across various districts of Jammu and Kashmir, and potential hideouts in neighboring states were also checked. Technical inputs, local intelligence, and other investigative leads were continuously analyzed.
Coordination was maintained with neighboring state police agencies, including Himachal Pradesh Police, throughout the operation.
As a result of sustained efforts, meticulous investigation, and effective inter-state coordination, the accused was successfully traced and apprehended on the morning of 19 May 2026 at around 7:00 AM from Sansarpur Terrace, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, after four days of continuous efforts.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to his involvement in the crime and disclosed the sequence of events leading to the murder.
Based on his disclosure, the recovery of the weapon used in the offence was also confirmed.
Kathua Police has successfully solved this serious murder case and apprehended the accused within just four days of the incident.
This reflects the dedication, professionalism, and coordinated efforts of the investigating teams.
Further investigation in the case is ongoing, and strict legal action will be taken against the accused in accordance with the law. (JKNS)
