Lucknow: Police investigating the murder of transporter Dhirendra Pratap Singh, 40, have turned their focus on the brother of arrested driver Ravi Kishore Tiwari, suspecting that he helped arrange the pistol used in the killing.Singh was shot dead inside his SUV on Aug 30, with the police finding two bullet injuries—one in his chest and another in his head. His blood-stained vehicle was recovered, while his body was later dumped in a canal near an orchard in Sarai Prem Raj, Dubagga. The police recovered the body based on information allegedly provided by Tiwari during interrogation.The police arrested Tiwari on Monday, claiming he had been offered a Rs 40-lakh contract to eliminate Singh amid a long-running property dispute in Unnao. Tiwari told the police that he had arranged the pistol used in the murder for Rs 70,000 from Gomti Nagar Extension. During the preliminary probe, police has found that Tiwari’s brother, who has criminal antecedents, may have played a role in arranging the weapon.A senior police officer associated with the investigation said a team had been formed to trace the brother and was conducting searches at his possible hideouts. The police have also arrested and sent to jail Onkar Sahu, an associate of Tiwari, for allegedly helping him dispose of Singh’s body after the murder. Sahu has been sent to judicial custody.Investigators suspect the murder was linked to an Rs 8-crore property dispute in Unnao and are probing a possible land-mafia connection. The police are also examining the role of an alleged mastermind who reportedly offered Tiwari the contract to kill Singh.The suspected mastermind and another accused remain absconding. The police suspect the alleged mastermind is operating in Unnao and are investigating his links to the property dispute and the conspiracy to murder Singh.
