Two held in trader murder

TT, Alipurduar, Sept. 16: Two persons were arrested from Jaigaon last night in connection with the murder of a trader whose body was found with the throat slit on Sunday morning.

“Last night, we arrested Ayub Mia and Sayed Ali from their houses in Jharna Basti in connection with the murder. We have recovered a cellphone, a laptop charger and a wristwatch belonging to the deceased from the duo. We are yet to recover the laptop and the cash. We suspect that the trader was killed because the attackers wanted to take away his belongings. The arrested duo have confessed that they killed the trader,” said deputy inspector-general of police Jalpaiguri circle, C.S. Lepcha.

Both Ayub Mia and Sayed Ali are unemployed, police sources said.

The trader, Raj Kumar Pandey, 50, used to supply construction materials to traders in Bhutan. A bag with a laptop that he was carrying and Rs 8,000 was missing, police had said.

“Today, the duo were produced in the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate, Alipurduar,” Lepcha said. The duo were remanded in police custody for three days.

After the news of Pandey’s murder spread, a mob attacked Jaigaon police station alleging inaction. A car seized by the police was set on fire.

Four persons were picked up in connect with the arson attack. They have been remanded in jail custody for 14 days.

Yesterday, four more persons were arrested for the attack on the police station. They were also remanded in jail custody for 14 days.

This evening, R.S. Gupta, the secretary of Jaigaon Merchant’s Association, was picked up for his involvement in the arson attack. He will be produced in court tomorrow.