Eighty days after the mysterious killing of a mining contractor Indrakant Tripathi in Mahoba, the local police finally made a breakthrough when they arrested Inspector Devendra Shukla on Wednesday. 

Shukla has already been terminated from service by the state government in this case. 

The SWAT team arrested Shukla from Mahobkanth area of the district on Wednesday. 

Confirming the arrest, a senior officer engaged in the investigation said that the breakthrough was made with the help of electronic surveillance. 

Superintendent of Police of Mahoba, Arun Srivastava, said that all efforts were now being made to nab the remaining two policemen, including the then SP of Mahoba, Manilal Patidar, who were absconding. 

Earlier on October 15, a local court in Mahoba had issued non-bailable warrants against former Mahoba district police chief Manilal Patidar and two others in connection with the Indrakant Tripathi murder case. 

Additional Sessions Judge Harendra Bahadur Singh had passed the order on an application moved by investigating officer Kalu Singh.

The other two against whom the non-bailable warrants were issued were SHO Devendra Shukla and constable Arun Kumar Yadav, whose services were terminated on October 13. While Shukla has now been arrested, the other two accused are still on the run.

According to government counsel DC Yadav, the brother of deceased Ravikant Tripathi had lodged an FIR in the matter naming Manilal Patidar and others. During the probe, two of the accused — Suresh Soni and Brahmadutt Tiwari —were arrested.

Indrakant Tripathi (44) was found injured in his car with gunshot wounds on September 8, days after he levelled allegations of corruption against Patidar. He died on September 13. His brother alleged that Patidar had demanded a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from Tripathi and threatened to kill him or send him to jail in case the money was not given within a week.

An SIT, however, has concluded that Tripathi committed suicide. Its probe found that the bullet was fired from Tripathi’’s licensed pistol from the front and it pierced through his neck and got entangled in the car seat behind, police had said. 

On September 9, Patidar was suspended with immediate effect on corruption charges and a vigilance probe was ordered into his wealth.