Sumit Jandial murder case worked out: SSP Jammu

Jammu, Feb 5: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu Joginder Singh Wednesday stated that the Police successfully worked out Sumit Jandial murder case with the arrest of eleven, including two juveniles, out of thirteen identified accused.

Intensive hunt was on to catch two absconding accused, he said.

Reiterating the commitment of Police to regain shaking confidence of Jammu people in the wake of surge in theft and robbery cases in the past few weeks, SSP Jammu said, “Police will soon get breakthrough in these cases including Greater Kailash robbery as culprits in a couple of cases have been identified and our investigations are moving on in the right direction in all cases.”

SSP Jammu, accompanied by senior Police officers, stated this, while addressing a press conference here.

“Whole plot or conspiracy hatched for the murder of Sumit Jandial has been unearthed by Jammu Police and till now 11 persons, including two juveniles, have been arrested in this connection including shooters, conspirator, co-accused and harbourers. Strenuous efforts are being made to arrest the remaining accused, instrumental in execution of crime,” he said.

SSP Singh said that efforts were also being made to work out the financial transactions planning and execution of that murder case.

“Main conspirator, who has hatched the criminal conspiracy from outside India in carrying out murder of Sumit Jandial has also been identified and sincere efforts are being made by Jammu Police for the deportation of identified accused to India and to Jammu,” SSP said.

Asserting that Jammu Police was committed for the eradication of crime in Jammu, he said that special focus would be “laid down for crushing gangsterism.” “Strict warning is being given to rogue elements to shun path of crime otherwise they’ll be dealt with iron hands by Jammu Police,” he warned.

Giving a background of the case, SSP Jammu said that on January 21, 2025 at 1.40 pm, unknown persons fired several rounds on a person travelling in Red coloured Thar No JK21G/0770 near Jewel rotary and fled away from the spot after snatching one grey coloured Scooty No JK02DL/8834.

“Team from Police Station Nowabad immediately shifted injured to GMC Jammu where he was pronounced dead by the doctors. Senior police officers visited the spot and immediately several police teams fanned into different directions. On the basis of human, technical intelligence and analysis of CCTVs, assailants were identified,” SSP said.

Keeping the gravity of the matter and seriousness of the issue into consideration, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted by him, SSP Jammu said.

SIT rounded up around 30 suspects and raids were conducted in Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and UP.

“During the course of investigation, it came to fore that it is an issue of old rivalry between Vikas Slathia alias Vicky Slathia, son of Ravinder Singh, resident of Mandi Gharota, Gurha Slathia, Vijaypur of district Samba and Sumit Jandial, son of Om Prakash, resident of W No 9, Vijaypur and it was the result of their rivalry that Akshay Kumar was murdered by Vicky Slathia group in 2023 at Ramgarh. Subsequently, in Akshay Kumar murder case police team raided GMC Kathua and during cross fire between Police team and gangsters, PSI Deepak Sharma was martyred and one notorious criminal namely Vasudev Kumar alias Shunnu, son of late Rattan Lal, resident of Shahzadpur, Ramgarh was killed,” Singh gave a backgrounder to the murder case.

He said that to take revenge for the killing of Vasudev Kumar, Vikas Slathia planned murder of Sumit Jandial.

Harsh Singh alias Banta, son of Ramesh Singh, resident of H No 38, Bikram Chowk, Jammu was already in touch with Vikas Slathia and he was told by Vikas Slathia to arrange boys for the murder of Sumit Jandial.

“One room set was taken on rent in Shastri Nagar area specifically for executing the murder of Sumit Jandial. Weapons were arranged from outside the UT of J&K. Alto car (Black coloured) No JK02AP/6546 was specifically purchased for carrying out recce and execution of murder for Rs 1,05,000 around one week before the murder (of Sumit Jandial),” SSP informed.

He said that for the last around four months proper recce was being conducted regarding stay or movement of Sumit Jandial.

During the course of the investigation, Alto Car No JK02AP/6546 & I20 car No JK12C/5339 used for the commission of crime and Scooty No JK02DL-8834 snatched by the accused after commission of crime have been recovered from different places in Jammu and Samba district, SSP said.