Bettiah: Police on Thursday arrested the main accused and recovered the murder weapon used in the murder of a man whose decapitated body was recovered on April 5 from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) forest under Naurangiya police station area in West Champaran district.
Another accused, who had earlier surrendered before a court, has already been taken into police custody.The victim, Murari Yadav, was found murdered on April 5 in the Sirisia area. His headless torso was first spotted in the forest, triggering an intensive investigation. Acting on suspicion during the initial inspection, the police later recovered the severed head buried nearby after excavation conducted in the presence of a magistrate.Superintendent of police (SP) Kumari Nirmala said the murder was the result of an old enmity linked to a killing that had taken place nearly a year ago. “During inspection of the crime spot, we noticed a freshly dug patch of earth nearby. The area was excavated in the presence of a magistrate, leading to the recovery of the severed head,” she said. The deceased was subsequently identified as Murari Yadav.According to the police, the prime accused, Jitendra Sahni, suspected Murari’s involvement in the murder of his uncle last year, though the victim had not been named in that case.
“On the day of the incident, the accused and the victim had snacks together and later went to a secluded area, where an argument broke out,” the SP said.Police said Jitendra Sahni, along with Umesh Sahni and two unidentified associates, allegedly overpowered the victim and beheaded him using a sharp weapon. While Jitendra Sahni had earlier surrendered, Umesh Sahni was arrested subsequently. Based on his confession, the murder weapon has been seized.“The weapon has been recovered and forensic evidence, including blood samples, has been preserved in the presence of the FSL team. Efforts are on to identify and arrest the remaining accused,” the SP added.
