The suspected killer of 74-year-old Chamarajpet businessman Jugraj Jain was arrested by the Gujarat police on Sunday.
Gujarat police said the suspect, Bijaram, had been caught by the Amirgadh police belonging to the Deesa division of Banaskantha district as they were on vehicle-checking duty.
Police stopped the truck in which Bijaram was travelling to check the materials being transported. Finding his behaviour suspicious, they thoroughly checked him and found gold and Rs 24 lakh in cash.
During police interrogation, Bijaram confessed to killing his employer, Jugraj Jain, in his Chamarajpet flat on the night of May 24 and fleeing the city.
A senior police officer in Bengaluru confirmed Bijaram’s arrest by their counterparts in Amirgadh. The suspected killer is being brought to the city after being produced in the court.
“Valuables allegedly stolen by Bijaram after killing Jain were not found. The suspect has (either) disposed it of or hidden them somewhere. Once he is brought to the city, we will investigate further and recover the stolen valuables,” the officer said.
Bengaluru city police commissioner Pratap Reddy announced a Rs 50,000 reward for the Amirgadh police for catching Bijaram.
The murder
Jain was found lying on the bathroom floor with his mouth gagged, hands tied at the back with a plastic rope and another plastic rope strung around his neck.
He resided in King’s Enclave, an apartment complex on 4th Main Road in Chamarajpet with his younger son Anand Kumar and family. Jain owns a store called Deepam Electricals on SV Lane in Chickpet. Kumar assisted him in the business.
Kumar hired Bijaram, a Jaipur native, as a helper in the shop. He was given accommodation in the basement of the apartment.
He killed Jain and fled with the valuables when Kumar was away on a business trip to Goa and his wife had left for her native hometown of Shikaripur in Shivamogga district, with her two children. The murder came to light on May 25.