Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Suspects who shot dead a contractor in front of a petrol pump at Gulab Bagh Colony on Thursday night slipped through a police checkpoint minutes after the crime.
Officers pulled over the men for a routine drink-and-drive check at Khalsa Square. As officers began issuing a traffic fine because the men were visibly intoxicated, the suspects abandoned their motorcycle and fled on foot.
Despite a city-wide high alert triggered by the homicide, the checkpoint officers failed to realise they had the killers in their grasp. While senior officials are yet to formally confirm the escape from this specific checkpoint, investigators are scanning CCTV footage and technical data to locate them.
The Lasudia police registered a murder case against Gulshan Yadav, a resident of Govind Nagar in Bhind, Deelu Lahariya, Gaurav Jatav, and two unidentified accomplices. Four police teams are tracking them down to avenge the murder of Abhitendra alias Abhi Tomar, a contractor originally hailing from Agarwal Nagar in Bhind.
Police investigations revealed that the murder was a cold-blooded act of retaliation for a past killing. The rival gang had been tracking Tomar’s movements for the last four months, ever since his release from jail. Aware of a severe threat to his life from adversaries back in Bhind, Tomar had been hiding out in Indore. However, the suspects successfully tracked him down.
According to sources, the suspects checked into a local hotel, where they conducted recce operations to study Tomar’s daily routine, frequent routes, and exact locations before ambushing him and firing multiple rounds.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. DCP Aman Singh Rathore stated, “We have constituted four special teams to track down the suspects. Our officers are utilising technical evidence and reviewing CCTV footage from multiple routes to pinpoint their location.”
Deadly Bhind Feud Spills Into Indore
The roots of the sensational murder trace back to a bloody gang rivalry in Bhind. On November 2, 2024, a dispute erupted between a youth named Vishnu Yadav and Tomar’s associates. Later that night, while Vishnu and his cousin Gaurav were standing near a culvert, they crossed paths with Tomar and his relatives, including his brother, uncle, cousin, brother-in-law, Rahul Yadav, and Bhayyu Yadav. A fierce gun battle ensued. Tomar allegedly fetched a licensed gun from his house and opened fire, fatally wounding Vishnu Yadav.
Following the murder, Vishnu’s brother, Gulshan Yadav, swore an oath to avenge the killing. Although Tomar and his associates were arrested shortly after the clash, some members of the Yadav family aligned with Tomar later reached a compromise with Gulshan Yadav.
Tomar’s brother-in-law, Chhote Singh alias Dev, was also implicated in Vishnu Yadav’s murder. Dev is the son of former municipal councillor Largushree. Just 20 days after Vishnu’s death, unidentified gunmen opened fire at Dev’s residence in the Dak Bungalow area of Bhind. While the shooters in that incident remain unidentified, investigators believe Gulshan Yadav orchestrated the attack as his first attempt at revenge, before ultimately tracking Tomar down in Indore.
