UP: Second shooter arrested in businessman Abhishek Gupta murder case

Aligarh (UP), Oct 4 (PTI) In the high-profile murder case of businessman Abhishek Gupta, Aligarh police has arrested the second alleged shooter, Asif, who reportedly fired the fatal bullets on September 26 night, officials said on Saturday.

Asif was tracked and arrested on Friday night near the Aligarh-Etah highway.

Police recovered an illegal firearm and approximately Rs 12,000 from him, and he is confirmed to have a prior criminal record.

Police stated that Asif has provided a detailed account of the sequence of events, which fully corroborates the version given by the first shooter, Mohammad Fazal, who was nabbed on September 30.

"Both arrested accused have confessed to the crime being a contract killing, ordered by the key conspirators, Pooja Shakun Pandey and her husband, Ashok Pandey," Superintendent of Police (City) Shekhar Pathak.

According to police officials, both hired killers had known the accused for several years and were regular visitors to the Pandey residence.

The accused contacted them a few days ago to kill Gupta. Police have maintained that the killing was a fallout of a monetary dispute that had gone sour between the Gupta and the accused couple.

"We have launched a search operation to nab the fourth person, Pooja Shakun Pandey, who is the national general secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha. She is a co-conspirator along with her husband, Ashok Pandey, the national spokesman of the same party, who was arrested on September 28," said the officer. PTI COR CDN AMJ AMJ