PNS
Daltonganj
In a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of realtor Vinit Tiwary, the Palamu Police arrested a key accused from Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi after tracking him for several days, Superintendent of Police Kapil Chaudhary said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Prashant Tiwary (26), a resident of Barkagaon village under Sadar police station in Palamu district, was brought to Daltonganj on a transit permit and produced before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody on Thursday.
Addressing a press briefing, SP Chaudhary said Prashant had been living anonymously in Jhansi since the murder, leading an extremely frugal life in an apparent attempt to avoid detection. According to the police, he survived on a single meal a day to minimise expenses and prolong his stay in the city while remaining inconspicuous.
Despite renting accommodation using his Aadhaar card, the accused managed to keep a low profile. However, Palamu Police traced and tracked him through a carefully planned operation that lasted two to three days in Jhansi.
“Our police team stayed in Jhansi for two to three days. We had his photograph and kept watch on him round the clock before making a precise and flawless arrest,” the SP said, while declining to disclose the specific methods used in the operation. Police sources said the accused’s use of social media helped investigators locate him.
According to the police, Prashant is among five persons allegedly involved in the murder of realtor Vinit Tiwary, who was strangled to death on the night of April 25, 2026. The SP said Prashant, though not originally named in the FIR, has admitted during interrogation that he was under the influence of alcohol when the victim was allegedly gagged and dragged by the accused.
Police said the accused realised the gravity of the crime only the following morning, but by then it was too late.
Investigators are continuing their search for the alleged mastermind, Pradip Tiwary alias Mahakaal, who has been absconding since the murder. Two other suspects, identified as Roshan and Rakesh, are also yet to be arrested.
With Prashant Tiwary’s arrest, the total number of arrests in the realtor murder case has risen to two, while efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused, police said.
