Killed with hammer, stone, and shovel:3 watchmen die in 4 days; no robbery or enmity found, raising questions about the motive Part- 1

This time in Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, we talk about Sagar city. 3 years ago, Sagar was shaken by three consecutive murders within 4 days. Three nights, three watchmen, and the same method of death. No traces, no motive. Just a blow to the head and death. People were terrified. Everyone was apprehending if a serial killer was active in the city? Cases were being registered in the police diary, but every page was blank. There were no clues, no witnesses, then how did the police reach this invisible killer? How was the city’s fear broken? Read this report from Madhya Pradesh Crime Files… A blurry shadow was seen in the CCTV footage
Kalyan Singh Lodhi was a watchman at a factory in the Bhaisa area of Sagar. He was on duty. He fell asleep after 1 AM at night. Someone quietly approached and hit him on the head with a hammer. The blow was so strong that Kalyan Singh collapsed right there. The next morning, seeing the blood-stained floor and lifeless body, the staff was in an uproar. Police arrived at the scene. When the CCTV footage was reviewed, only a blurry shadow was seen on camera. A person was seen entering in the dark and then quickly exiting. But who it was, the face was not clearly visible. Police registered a case and started an investigation. In the initial investigation, it was considered a normal murder, possibly due to some personal enmity. No one had any idea that this was the beginning of a bloody series. This time, head smashed with a stone
The fear of the first murder had not yet properly spread throughout the city when, exactly one day later, on the night of August 29, the killer struck again. This time, his target was Sagar’s prestigious Art and Commerce College. Here, 60-year-old Shambhudayal Dubey was serving as a watchman. It was the same time of night, between 1 and 3 AM. Shambhudayal too had fallen asleep while sitting on his chair. The killer adopted the same method again. He picked up a large stone lying nearby and struck it on the head of the sleeping Shambhudayal. He also died on the spot. In the morning, when the college staff arrived, they were stunned by the sight. The police were called. During the investigation at the crime scene, the police found the deceased’s mobile phone lying there, which the killer had not even touched. Now the police were on high alert. Two murders in two days, both with the same method. Both victims were watchmen, both murdered by striking them on the head while they were sleeping. Was this just a coincidence, or was the same person behind both murders? Lines of worry deepened on the police’s forehead. Shovel turned into a murder weapon
Police were still trying to solve the mystery of the second murder when, on the very next night, August 30, 2022, the serial killer committed a third crime, shaking the entire city. This time the crime scene was an under-construction house, where 40-year-old Mangal Ahirwar was working as a watchman. The time was again the same, between 1 and 4 AM. Mangal Ahirwar had also fallen asleep during his duty. Death came silently this time too. The killer picked up a shovel lying at the spot and struck the sleeping Mangal on the head with full force. The story was repeated once again. When people arrived there in the morning, they shuddered at the sight of Mangal’s blood-soaked body. Police also recovered a blood-stained shovel from the crime scene. Now the picture was absolutely clear for the police. These were not separate incidents. Sagar was living under the shadow of a serial killer, who was only targeting watchmen. Same pattern of murder and many questions
Three murders in four days had created a stir in the police department. The motive was not clear, but the killer’s pattern of murder (Modus Operandi) was absolutely clear. Seeing this pattern, panic spread in the city. People started saying, ‘A serial killer is roaming in Sagar.’ As evening fell, people would hide in their homes. Especially those who worked night shifts, there was an atmosphere of fear in their families. Police officers were sweating. Government’s Concern and Police Action
Considering the seriousness of the matter, the news reached Bhopal. The then Home Minister, Dr. Narottam Mishra, directly spoke to the then SP of Sagar, Tarun Nayak. Instructions were given to apprehend the accused as soon as possible. The entire city was put on high alert. A force of approximately 250 policemen started patrolling the city streets day and night. The atmosphere in the city was tense, as if everyone was waiting to hear another bad news the next morning. The police formed 15 special teams to catch the accused. Each team was given a different task. The reason behind the murders, enmity or mental illness?
The police were grappling with the question of what exactly could be the reason behind these murders. Did the accused have any old enmity with the watchmen? Or was he a mental patient who considered murder a game? The then SP Tarun Nayak told the media, ‘It would be premature to say anything about the reason for the murders right now. Our teams are investigating from every angle.’ The police were waiting for the arrest of the accused. Since the accused was not committing robbery, it was clear that his sole motive was murder. This made the case even more horrifying. A blurry sketch and a challenge like finding a needle in a haystack
The police had only a blurry CCTV footage as a clue, in which a suspect was seen running. Neither his face was clear, nor could he be identified. Based on this footage and information received from some people, the police released a sketch of the suspect and appealed to the public to immediately report if they saw any such person. After the sketch was released, the police were flooded with phone calls. Reports of suspects being seen started coming in from different parts of the city, but no concrete lead was found. The biggest challenge for the police was that if this was the same person, who and where would his next target be? The police had thoroughly searched the city, but concerns about rural areas were growing. Reward Announcement and an Unspoken Wait
The police issued an advisory, asking all watchmen and guards on night duty to remain vigilant. They were advised not to sleep during duty, to stay alert, and to immediately inform the police control room if any suspicious person was seen. Along with this, the police announced a total reward of 30,000 rupees for the killer. It was also assured that the informant’s name would be kept completely confidential, but despite all these efforts, the real question was still hanging in the air – who is this killer? And who would be his next victim? The entire city of Sagar was waiting with bated breath. Read the answers to these questions in Part 2 of Crime Files ​