The Surat Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) has arrested two absconding accused, Sanjay Paswan and Avinash Paswan, from Bihar in connection with the July 7 murder of jeweller Ashish Rajpara during an attempted robbery in Sachin.
Both accused are notorious criminals with multiple cases including bank robberies, narcotics smuggling, and arms violations. The crime occurred when four robbers from Bihar tried to loot a jewellery showroom. Ashish Rajpara was shot dead while confronting them. One robber, Dipak Paswan, was caught at the scene by locals; the others fled.
Following the incident, Surat police launched a massive operation. Three teams pursued the accused to Bihar after they escaped via train from Udhna station. Sanjay was arrested in Samastipur and Avinash in Hajipur. The third accused, Pintu Paswan, remains at large but is expected to be caught soon.
Surat Police Commissioner Anupamsingh Gahlaut and DCP Bhavesh Rojiya led the operation, using undercover tactics to track the fugitives. Both Sanjay and Avinash have extensive criminal records, with Sanjay linked to an SBI bank robbery and Avinash wanted for multiple crimes including a jewellery shop heist. Dipak Paswan, the mastermind held earlier, had been in Surat preparing for the robbery.
