Jamim Shah was 'alerted' a month ago

 

KATHMANDU, FEB 09 -
Media entrepreneur Jamim Shah was alerted nearly a month before he was killed on Sunday, if investigators are to be believed. The police on Tuesday told the Post that someone had alerted Shah to be “vigilant”.

The revelation came in the last two days as investigators talked to people close to Shah. Police, however, believe that Shah never shared this information with his family members. During the last one month, Shah seemed to be “under stress and was wary when it came to meeting people.” 

“The murder could perhaps have been averted if Shah had shared his uneasiness with the police,” said a police officer investigating the case.

Investigators said they traced “corroborative evidences” that indicated the movement of the mastermind—Babloo Singh—in Kathmandu in the last six months. But the mastermind has remained out of contact since Saturday, a day before the murder. Police, however, believe that all the culprits are still in the Capital.

Investigators say the killers had prepared for a month. “They collected detailed information of Shah’s movement before killing him in broad daylight on Sunday,” said a police officer.

Superintendent of Police Ganesh K. C., Chief of Metropolitan Police Range, claimed the killers had been identified. “We have sufficient evidences to substantiate our claim,” said K. C.

On Monday night, police carried out a massive search operation in Lazimpat, Ranibari and Lainchaur areas—a suspected hideout—but could not make any breakthrough.

On Monday, a man who identified himself as Bharat Nepali owned up responsibility for the murder. Bharat, who is said to be a former aide of underworld don Chhota Rajan, told Avenues TV that he had executed the plan. But police have not confirmed Nepali as the main culprit.

Meanwhile, police on Tuesday morning found the motorcycle the killers had used at Futung VDC, near Balaju in Kathmandu. The motorcycle was abandoned on a slope.

Meanwhile, four police personnel deputed at the Lazimpat police booth at the time of the killing, have been suspended for “the security lapse.” Assistant Sub-Inspector Lokendra Pandit, Head Constable Tul Bahadur Adhikari, and Constables Duryodhan Yadav and Anil Rai were all in a police post around 150 metres away from the place where the gruesome killing took place.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) staged a demonstration in the Capital on Tuesday to protest Shah’s murder and demanded that the government bring the guilty to book immediately.