Click the Play button to listen to article

A 70-year-old advocate and 4-time president of the Kalpi Bar Association, Gayadin Ahirwar, was allegedly abducted and murdered on Saturday. He was purportedly lured into a car by men posing as clients seeking to discuss a case.

Jalaun Police suspect that the killing was linked to a long-standing land dispute. Police have arrested three accused and the alleged mastermind. A suspected shooter remains absconding.

Ahirwar's body was recovered on Sunday (November 1), hours after he went missing while returning home from court.  

According to family members, Ahirwar had attended court proceedings in Orai on Saturday (October 31). At around 3:30 pm, he called his son and asked him to pick him up. He reportedly told his son that they needed to collect a legal file from a client before heading home.

His son took his father to the location on a scooter, where a white case with 3 occupants was waiting. As per a report of the Times of India, 2 men allegedly stepped out, addressed the advocate as 'Chacha' and invited him to accompany them for refreshments before handing over the case file.

Trusting them, Ahirwar got into the car. His son followed the car for some distance but eventually he lost sight of it. When his father failed to return home and his mobile phone became unreachable, the family informed the police.

Jalaun Police launched a search operation and formed 4 teams comprising personnel from the Surveillance Unit, SWAT, SOG and local police to trace the advocate and identify those involved.

Additional Superintendent of Police Dr Ishan Soni said that 3 suspects were arrested in Kanpur on November 1. During interrogation, and on the basis of information provided by them, the police recovered Ahirwar's body along with the weapon allegedly used in the murder.

The suspects subsequently disclosed that the vehicle used in the abduction had been concealed in a forested area within the jurisdiction of Kalpi police station in Jalaun district.

According to the police, when a team reached the location to recover the vehicle, the suspects attempted to escape under the cover of darkness. They allegedly fired two rounds at the police using a firearm hidden in the bushes.

The police also returned fire, due to which, two accused, Ashish Vishwakarma and Sarvesh Shukla, sustained gunshot injuries to their legs. Police said the third accused, Keshav Katiyar, was apprehended on the spot.

Police have also taken one Indrajeet Yadav into custody, alleging that he was the mastermind behind the killing. Investigators are searching for Monu Yadav, who is suspected to be the main shooter and remains absconding.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the murder may have taken place due to a decades-old land dispute involving nearly 4 hectares of land in the Jalaun region.

Ahirwar was involved in litigation over the property since 2000 and several civil and consolidation proceedings are presently pending before courts. 

Police are also examining an SC/ST Act case filed by Ahirwar against several individuals, including a land claimant, following an alleged assault. The matter had come up for hearing in Orai on October 31, the day he went missing, and the next hearing was scheduled for November 11.

Investigators are also examining digital evidence, including WhatsApp conversations allegedly recovered from Indrajeet Yadav's phone, to establish the conspiracy and the roles of those involved.

Ahirwar had been practising law since 1981 and was elected president of the Kalpi Bar Association for a fourth term earlier this year. He is survived by his wife, 3 sons and 2 daughters. Further investigation is underway.

Tags: