dehradun

Updated: Sep 03, 2018 12:35 IST

Police investigating the murder of a 38-year-old BJP leader and zila panchayat member, Virendra Manral, outside a court in Nainital district are yet to nab the accused.

During initial investigation, it was found that Devendra alias Bhau, the main accused of the incident outside the court in Ramnagar, was angry with Manral after the BJP leader refused to give him the money promised for the murder of an influential man in 2015.

Manral and the accused were facing trial in the 2015 murder case and had come to the court on Saturday for hearing. Both the men are residents of Ramnagar.

On Saturday, Devendra committed the crime along with two of his unidentified acquaintances. They are on the run. Police have so far booked four people, including Devendra, Sonu Kandpal, Harish Fartyal and Sanjay Negi, in the case after receiving a complaint from dead man’s brother Diwaan Manral.

Station house officer of Ramnagar Vikram Rathore said: “Deceased Manral and accused Devendra were accused in the murder of Hemant Fartyal in 2015. Manral planned the murder for which he contacted Devendra.”

“Later, both were nabbed and produced before a court which granted bail to Manral. Devendra, too, was granted bail later. However, Devendra was angry with Manral for using him (Devendra) for his own interest and leaving him at his own peril when caught.”

Rathore said: “He had also accused Manral of not giving him the promised money for contract killing and also for not helping him in getting bail. Devendra often spoke of killing Manral to his friends as revenge and on Saturday did that.”

“Manral was also a history-sheeter as he was booked in at least 15-20 various cases. We had warned him on a few occasions that Devendra might be planning to kill him. Devendra often used to say to his friends that Manral destroyed his life by using him in the murder of Fartyal and then dumping him,” Rathore told HT.

“So far, four persons have been booked on the basis of the complaint of Manral’s brother Diwaan. Police have launched a manhunt to nab the three accused,” said Rathore.