Ghaziabad police on Saturday arrested the fifth accused in the murder of Omkar, a dairy farm owner from Loni, which occurred two weeks ago. Gaurav Nagar, who had a bounty of Rs 50,000 on his head, was taken into custody after a gunfight in which he sustained injuries.
Arrest Details
With Nagar's arrest, the total number of individuals apprehended in the case has risen to 28. Over 20 people have been arrested for providing shelter to the accused, most of whom are relatives of the youths involved.
Despite the arrests, Omkar's body remains missing. Search operations are being conducted by SDRF teams and flood units of the PAC along a 180-kilometer stretch of the Ganga canal near Baghpat, Hapur, Meerut, and Ghaziabad.
How Gaurav Nagar Was Caught
Loni ACP Siddharth Gautam stated that Gaurav was arrested following a tip-off regarding his location. “We were informed that the accused would be traveling from Banthla to Chirodi. Acting on this information, a police team set up a checkpoint near the canal on the Banthla-Chirodi road,” he said.
Gaurav approached the checkpoint in a white Swift car and was signaled to stop but attempted to flee. The police team chased him, leading to the Swift colliding with a tree. Gaurav then exited the car and tried to escape on foot while firing at the officers. In self-defense, police shot him in both legs. He was subsequently taken to a hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Confession and Motive
The ACP revealed that Gaurav confessed to the crime, admitting that he and his four accomplices planned to kill Omkar due to a road rage incident between Omkar's son and one of the accused.
On May 30, the group of five shot Omkar near a railway underpass in Loni, placed his body in a car, and dumped it near a canal on the Rohta-Meerut road.
Legal Proceedings
The accused have been booked for attempt to murder, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. Murder charges will be added once Omkar's body is discovered.
