Jammu, Feb 5: Authorities apprehended eleven individuals, including two minors, in connection with the daylight murder of Gataru gang leader Sumit Jandyal, who was killed due to rivalry with another gang, police confirmed on Wednesday.
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According to reports, the chief conspirator behind the crime was based outside India and efforts are underway for his extradition. Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Joginder Singh stated that multiple shots were fired at Jandyal while he was in an SUV near Jewel Chowk on January 21. The attackers abandoned their vehicle and escaped on a stolen scooter, he noted. Jandyal was promptly transported to GMC Hospital, where he was unfortunately declared dead upon arrival.
Several of the primary suspects have been apprehended, including the shooters, conspirators, accomplices, and those who sheltered the criminals, the SSP remarked. “Using human and technical intelligence, as well as analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to identify the assailants,” he explained. Due to the serious nature of the crime, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed.
The SIT conducted extensive investigations, detaining around 30 suspects and executing raids in Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Evidence revealed that Jandyal’s murder was linked to a longstanding conflict with another gangster, Vikas Slathia from Mandi Gharota in Samba. The tension escalated following the murder of Gataru gang member Akshay Kumar by Slathia’s gang in Ramgarh in 2023.
After Akshay Kumar’s death, a shootout ensued between law enforcement and the rival gangs at GMC Hospital in Kathua, resulting in the deaths of Probationary Sub-Inspector Deepak Sharma and notorious criminal Vasudev Kumar. In retaliation for Vasudev’s death, Vikas Slathia is believed to have orchestrated Jandyal’s killing, with Harsh Singh alias Banta tasked to secure shooters for the crime.
A one-room location in Shastri Nagar was allegedly rented specifically for planning and executing the murder, with weapons sourced from outside the Jammu and Kashmir region. An Alto vehicle was acquired for Rs 1,05,000 about a week prior to the incident for scouting and carrying out the operation. During the investigation, both the vehicle and scooter used in the murder were recovered from separate sites in Jammu and Samba. The full scope of the conspiracy surrounding Jandyal’s assassination has been disclosed, resulting in the arrest of eleven individuals so far. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects, and police are also probing financial transactions related to the planning and execution of the murder.
“The Jammu Police is resolutely dedicated to combating crime, with a particular emphasis on diminishing gangsterism. Criminal elements are warned to cease their illegal activities or face severe consequences,” SSP Singh stated.
