₹10 Crore contract to kill don in jail?

Two cash withdrawals in Jaunpur two days before UP don Prem Prakash Singh alias Munna Bajrangi was shot dead inside Baghpat Jail on July 9, has sparked speculation that the transaction was linked to the murder. Uttar Pradesh Police added to the suspense by admitting that they are indeed investigating possible links with the murder.

A sum of ₹7 Crore and an amount of ₹3Crore were withdrawn from two bank accounts in Jaunpur , apparently by people close to a political leader known to be antagonistic to the slain don. It is speculated that the don was planning to carve out a political career in eastern UP and hence a ‘supari’ worth ₹10 Crore was given to whoever would kill the don.

Rathi, police told the media, had pumped seven bullets into Munna Bajrangi. Rathi then allegedly danced around the body and when he was sure that Bajrangi was dead, he fired three more bullets in the air. That is the police version. Rathi had told the police that he killed Bajrangi with his own weapon after they had a spat. He is also said to have claimed that he killed the other don because the latter had called him ‘fat’.

A week before the sensational murder in judicial custody, the wife of Munna Bajrangi had addressed a press conference and alleged that the Special Task Force (STF) of UP Police wanted to kill her husband.

Monday by another don Sunil Rathi. While Munna Bajrangi’s wife had addressed a press conference a week before the killing and accused UP police of plotting to kill her husband, Rathi claimed he had shot Bajrangi because the latter had called him ‘fat’.

Is a coverup being undertaken? And is the ‘contract killing’ theory a smokescreen?