They fell out after Bhardwaj had a dispute with ACP’s sister: cops

They fell out after Bhardwaj had a dispute with ACP’s sister: cops

Sahim Salim

Posted online: Friday, March 28, 2008 at 2344 hrs IST

New Delhi, March 27
Slain ACP Rajbir Singh and accused Vijay Bhardwaj enjoyed an amicable relationship till they fell out over a property dispute between Bhardwaj and the ACP’s Chandigarh-based sister, police said on Thursday. The Gurgaon police will be taking Bhardwaj to Chandigarh to interrogate him in front of her.

“Bhardwaj told us that Singh’s sister had given him a huge amount, to the tune of lakhs, to invest in a property in Chandigarh. He told us that he made a bad investment of it and lost the money,” an officer said.

On Thursday, the Gurgaon police produced Bhardwaj in the office of the Duty Magistrate and requested for a week’s custody, on the plea of taking him to Chandigarh to confirm his statements.

“We have been granted three days’ custody,” said Joint Commissioner Manjeet Singh Ahlawat.

The police meanwhile analysed the calls Bhardwaj made from his mobile phone and found that soon after committing the murder he contacted Assistant Sub-Inspector Pradeep Singh, posted in the Civil Lines police station, at 9.21 pm. He reportedly asked the ASI if Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road came under the jurisdiction of the Civil Lines police.

On getting an answer in the affirmative, Bhardwaj disconnected the phone, the police said.

“His next call was made to a friend, Atul Goel, at 9.42 pm. Goel is a property dealer based in Sector 15. He told him that he had killed the ACP and that he was remorseful because he should have thought about his family,” a senior officer said.

His next phone call was made to his help, Krishna. According to the police, the only thing he told him was to go home. Next, he called up his advocate, Sanjeev Vats, and told him about the murder. He reportedly told Vats that he was planning to call the media “because he was scared”.

Thereafter, he roamed around in his car for about an hour before making a call to a reporter of a TV news channel.

At 11.21 pm, he called up the ASI again and confessed to committing the murder. He told the ASI that he was waiting near IFFCO Chowk.

West Gurgaon DCP Rakesh Arya, who is supervising the investigations, told reporters that in some of the text messages sent to Singh on his mobile phone Bhardwaj had desperately asked for more time to repay the amount. “I have never broken your trust earlier... I will repay the entire amount,” said one SMS.

In his response, Arya said, Singh had written that he had already given him enough time and that he would come on Monday to collect the amount.

Police officers said analysis of the call details corroborated Bhardwaj’s confessional statements.

Gun was not Rajbir’s, traced to Jhajjar resident, say police
The model number of the weapon of offence, a .32 bore gun, is “most probably” E-8256, from a Kanpur ordnance unit. Police said they were not sure of the number because it had got a little smudged. According to sources, the gun’s ownership has been traced to a property dealer in Jhajjar, Haryana. The Gurgaon police reportedly visited the village to track down the owner. According to reports, the gun has been traced to one Devender Singh, who has several properties in the NCR. The sources said ACP Rajbir Singh knew Devender and had taken the gun from him and given it to Bhardwaj. The Gurgaon police are waiting for their team to come back from Kanpur and submit its report before confirming ownership details of the gun.

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They fell out after Bhardwaj had a dispute with ACP’s sister: cops Sahim Salim Posted online: Friday, March 28, 2008 at 2344 hrs IST New Delhi, March 27 Slain ACP Rajbir Singh and accused Vijay Bhardwaj enjoyed an amicable relationship till they fell out over a property dispute between Bhardwaj and the ACP’s Chandigarh-based sister, police said on Thursday. The Gurgaon police will be taking Bhardwaj to Chandigarh to interrogate him in front of her. “Bhardwaj told us that Singh’s sister had given him a huge amount, to the tune of lakhs, to invest in a property in Chandigarh. He told us that he made a bad investment of it and lost the money,” an officer said. On Thursday, the Gurgaon police produced Bhardwaj in the office of the Duty Magistrate and requested for a week’s custody, on the plea of taking him to Chandigarh to confirm his statements. “We have been granted three days’ custody,” said Joint Commissioner Manjeet Singh Ahlawat. The police meanwhile analysed the calls Bhardwaj made from his mobile phone and found that soon after committing the murder he contacted Assistant Sub-Inspector Pradeep Singh, posted in the Civil Lines police station, at 9.21 pm. He reportedly asked the ASI if Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road came under the jurisdiction of the Civil Lines police. On getting an answer in the affirmative, Bhardwaj disconnected the phone, the police said. “His next call was made to a friend, Atul Goel, at 9.42 pm. Goel is a property dealer based in Sector 15. He told him that he had killed the ACP and that he was remorseful because he should have thought about his family,” a senior officer said. His next phone call was made to his help, Krishna. According to the police, the only thing he told him was to go home. Next, he called up his advocate, Sanjeev Vats, and told him about the murder. He reportedly told Vats that he was planning to call the media “because he was scared”. Thereafter, he roamed around in his car for about an hour before making a call to a reporter of a TV news channel. At 11.21 pm, he called up the ASI again and confessed to committing the murder. He told the ASI that he was waiting near IFFCO Chowk. West Gurgaon DCP Rakesh Arya, who is supervising the investigations, told reporters that in some of the text messages sent to Singh on his mobile phone Bhardwaj had desperately asked for more time to repay the amount. “I have never broken your trust earlier... I will repay the entire amount,” said one SMS. In his response, Arya said, Singh had written that he had already given him enough time and that he would come on Monday to collect the amount. Police officers said analysis of the call details corroborated Bhardwaj’s confessional statements. Gun was not Rajbir’s, traced to Jhajjar resident, say police The model number of the weapon of offence, a .32 bore gun, is “most probably” E-8256, from a Kanpur ordnance unit. Police said they were not sure of the number because it had got a little smudged. According to sources, the gun’s ownership has been traced to a property dealer in Jhajjar, Haryana. The Gurgaon police reportedly visited the village to track down the owner. According to reports, the gun has been traced to one Devender Singh, who has several properties in the NCR. The sources said ACP Rajbir Singh knew Devender and had taken the gun from him and given it to Bhardwaj. The Gurgaon police are waiting for their team to come back from Kanpur and submit its report before confirming ownership details of the gun.