Pioneer News Service
Palamu
In a rare breakthrough, Mohammadganj police in Palamu district have cracked two blind murder cases spanning nearly a year, with the investigation into one case unexpectedly leading police to the remains of another victim.
Hussainabad SDPO Divyansh Shukla said both cases had initially posed a major challenge as there were no eyewitnesses or clear leads. The first breakthrough came in the murder of 60-year-old Mutur Mushar, who was allegedly killed on Makar Sankranti during a fair in Bihar’s Sasaram in January 2026.
According to police, Mutur was allegedly abducted and killed by Dinesh and three others — Vikas, Gobind and Shrawan — who suspected him of being involved in the murder of Dinesh’s son, Nandan. Mutur’s family lodged an FIR with Mohammadganj police on August 10, nearly eight months after his disappearance.
Police arrested the four accused on August 14 and recovered what are believed to be Mutur’s skeletal remains from the banks of the Sone river in Sasaram based on information obtained during interrogation. Samples have been sent to PMCH, Patna, for examination and DNA testing.
During questioning, Dinesh allegedly revealed the details of another murder — that of his son Nandan during a winter festival in 2025. Nandan, a migrant worker who had returned from Chennai, was allegedly strangled and his body thrown into the Koyal river.
Police arrested two suspects, Santosh and Dharmendra, on August 17, while another accused, Nandu, remains absconding. The two were remanded in judicial custody on August 18.
Shukla said the motives in the two murders were different. Mutur was allegedly killed over suspicion of involvement in Nandan’s murder, while Nandan’s killing was linked to a dispute involving an alleged relationship with Santosh’s wife.
