Overview
- Police arrested Asif, the alleged main shooter, on Friday near the Delhi–Kanpur highway at Shah Kutubpur, after earlier detaining Mohammad Fazal this week.
- Investigators say the pair were hired to kill Abhishek Gupta for Rs 3 lakh, with Rs 1 lakh paid in advance, based on Fazal’s confession.
- Call detail records cited by police show Ashok Pandey contacted Fazal 27 times in August and September and spoke 11 times with absconding Pooja Shakun Pandey.
- A country-made firearm was recovered from Fazal, and teams used CCTV footage and witness accounts to trace the suspects.
- Ashok Pandey remains in custody as officers continue the search for Hindu Mahasabha leader Pooja Shakun Pandey, who is accused of ordering the hit.