The contract killer, arrested by the Karnal police in New Delhi, has been identified as Verinder Singh alias Billu, a convict who is serving life sentence in the Ambala jail in another case.

He was out on parole and planning to kill Manoj’s sister Seema and her mother living in the Karnal district of Haryana.

Police sources said Babli’s family, which had orchestrated the murder of the couple three years ago, had promised a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh to Billu to eliminate the surviving family members.

Reliable police sources investigating the case said the country made pistol procured by the accused for the murder that was intended was on Wednesday recovered from Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh.

Manoj’s sister Seema has been on the target of those convicted for the honour killing since she fought a relentless battle along with her mother for getting justice for her brother Manoj and sister–in-law Babli.  Seema had complained to the police that her family was facing threat from Billu.