SURAT, Dec 20: Even as a stunned city was recovering from yesterday's murder of city councillor Nitaben Satbhaya, the police pointed to the role of the builders' lobby in the incident. Detection of Crime Branch PI M G Kaneriya, investigating the case, told Express Newsline that, ``prima facie, it appears that some builders with whom Satbhaya might have crossed swords may have used the three persons to get rid of her. It seems to be a supari killing.''In another development, five policemen attached to the Rander police station were suspended for their tardy reaction to news of the murder. No arrests, however, have been made so far.
Meanwhile, top police officials of the city stated that files regarding complaints of Nitaben had been secured by the police from the SMC. ``We are now pursuing four theories based on the complaints that she gave in the SMC to trace the possible cause of the murder,'' city police commissioner Maniram told Express Newsline.
One angle, Kaneriya said, was that Satbhaya could have been eliminated by her political rivals within the party. ``Her sudden rise among the ranks is being presumed as a possible cause of the murder,'' he said.
The police, based on the written complaints that Satbhaya made, have also begun investigations of Rawani Builders, organisers of Jalaram Complex in the Palanpur Patia area. The complex has been built on the common open plot of a residential society, to which Nitaben had objected to in writing.
He also said that according to Binni, the victim's five-year-old daughter, the killers were about 35 years old, wore white clothes and slim built. ``Neighbours state that Nitaben did not usually open the door unless she knew the person, but the door was open as her son had just gone out for a tuition class,'' additional police commissioner (range II) Thakur said. He also said that the nature of the wounds inflicted on Nitaben -- irregular and not precisely executed -- suggest that the killers hesitated for a moment and also that they were not professionals.
There has also been much speculation what the killers used for transport. Police stated that a Maruti car, suspected to having being used has been ruled out and the police are verifying wether two motorcycles found abandoned were used by the assailants. No Fingers point at builders' lobbyÎfingerprints have been found by the police and the sniffer dogs which were used yesterday also could not trace the scent of the killers.
The body of the deceased municipal councillor was cremated early on Sunday amid heavy police arrangements following completion of the post mortem examination and other preliminary police investigations.
The Rander area of the city continued to be tense and, though no untoward incident has been reported since last night, a few policemen were injured in heavy stone throwing by irate mobs yesterday evening. Additional commissioner of police P C Thakur stated that anti-social elements from Rander and its surrounding police station areas had been rounded up under preventive custody measures.
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