MP:3 watchmen murdered in 72 hours in MP; can't call killer 'psycho' yet say police

Three watchmen have been murdered in the past 72 hours in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district stoking fears of a psycho killer on the prowl as the modus operandi in two of these incidents. Also, the police have ruled out the robbery angle in all three incidents.

Sagar:Three security guards were murdered in different incidents here in the last 72 hours, creating a panic in the Madhya Pradesh city, and police suspect two of them might have been killed by the same person. The pattern of killings led to the suspicion of involvement of a serial killer, but Sagar police officials on Thursday said it was a matter of investigation and too early to jump to any conclusion.

Police have also released a sketch of the suspected killer. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra told reporters in Bhopal that the entire police force has been put on "high alert" and watchmen on night duty have also been alerted. The minister further said they will very soon come to a conclusion in these incidents.

Security guard Kalyan Lodhi, who was in his 50s and deployed at a factory, was killed on the intervening night of August 28-29 under Cantt police station limits. His head was smashed with a hammer, Additional Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh Kushwaha said.

Another security guard, Shambhu Narayan Dube (60), who was on duty at an arts and commerce college, was killed on the intervening night of August 29-30 under Civil Lines police station limits. His head was smashed with a stone, the official said. In the third incident, watchman Mangal Ahirwar, who guarded a house, was killed in Moti Nagar area on the intervening night of August 30-31 after being attacked with a stick, he said.

Though it seems Lodhi and Dube were apparently killed by the same person, the number of culprits may be more, Kushwaha said. Police have released a sketch of the suspected killer, the official said, adding that they are hopeful of nabbing him soon.

Too early to call killer a psycho

Superintendent of Police Tarun Nayak said the killings in Cantt and Civil Lines police station areas were similar in nature and appeared to have been executed by the same person. Based on the CCTV footage and scientific evidence collected, the police were working to nab the killer soon, he said. Nayak said it was too early to say the culprit was a psycho or serial killer".

Police have got some definite leads about the culprit and special teams have been constituted to nab him, the official said. Meanwhile, state Home Minister Mishra said they have taken cognisance of the incidents. "The entire police force has been put on high alert. Watchmen on night duty are also alerted. We are also making the public aware of the issue," he said.

He further said CCTV footage from the entire Sagar city has been collected. "In the CCTV footage, at one or two places a person was seen running away from the spot. We will very soon come to a conclusion in these incidents, the minister said.

Prima facie, it appears from discussions that one person is behind these incidents, but till police nab him, it is not possible to say anything as it leads to confusion, Mishra said. In 2018, police had arrested 'serial killer' Aadesh Khamra from Mandideep in MP's Raisen district for allegedly killing 34 truck drivers and cleaners in a decade. He is currently lodged in a jail in state capital Bhopal and the case trial is underway, Assistant Commissioner of Police (crime) Bittu Sharma said. (with Agency inputs)