Three held for murder

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TT, Raiganj, Oct. 6: Three persons, including a resident of Bihar, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a businessman whose body was found in Panjipara yesterday.

The trio were today remanded in police custody for seven days.

"Preliminary investigations have revealed that the businessman was murdered by the three, including a resident of Purnia in Bihar. They murdered him following a dispute over money," Amit Kumar Bharat Rathod, superintendent of police, North Dinajpur, said.

The body of Omprakash Lunawat, 42, was found off NH31 at Panjipara, yesterday. The corn trader was from Dalkhola. He has a shop at Purnia More and had been missing since Tuesday afternoon.

"He told his employees that he would go to Bahadurganj (Bihar) for some work and left the shop around 12noon," a police officer said. As he did not return, his family and employees tried calling him. "One call had been answered. The person spoke in Hindi and said he was a friend of Omprakash and he had left his phone at his place. He also said the trader had taken a train to Assam for work," an officer said.

The police said the call was traced to Panjipara. "We caught the person from Dalkhola last night. Based on his statements, we arrested two more this morning," an officer said.

Those arrested are Md Rehamatulla, Md Rezaulla and Md Mezaulla, who is from Bihar. The trio were produced in the additional chief judicial magistrate's court in Islampur today.