Ahmedabad Crime Branch Nabs Accused in MP Massacre After Three Years

AHMEDABAD: After three years on the run, an accused in the brutal killing of six members of a family in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district has been arrested by the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch following a seven-day operation in Haryana. The accused, Ramsingh Dhirsingh Tomar, who claims to be related to the infamous Chambal dacoit Paan Singh Tomar, was allegedly involved in a revenge killing rooted in a decade-old land dispute.

According to police, the massacre took place on May 5, 2023, in Lepa village of Morena district, when a wedding gathering turned into a bloodbath. Three women and three men from the family of Ranjitsingh Munnesingh Tomar were allegedly shot dead by members of the rival group.

The deceased included Gajendrasinh Badlusingh Tomar, his two sons, Satyaprakashsinh and Sanjusinh, and three daughters-in-law, Madhudevi, Babli Devi and Keshkalidevi.

Police registered a case against nine accused at Sihonia police station under murder and Arms Act provisions. A reward of ₹30,000 was announced for information leading to the accused’s arrest.

Decade-old feud behind the killings

Investigators said the shooting was allegedly driven by revenge for the killing of Ramsingh’s paternal uncles, Virbhansinh and Shobharansinh, in a land dispute in 2013. The accused and his brother allegedly waited for an opportunity to avenge their deaths.

After the 2023 massacre, Ramsingh allegedly moved between Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana, working as a security guard and labourer while concealing his identity.

Acting on a tip-off that he was working at a warehouse in the Gopalpur GIDC area of Gurugram, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch launched a special operation. Police personnel reportedly disguised themselves as labourers and local residents before apprehending him near Garhi-Harsaru Road.

The arrest marks a breakthrough in a case that had remained unresolved for three years. Police said the accused also has a previous criminal case registered at Gormi police station in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district.

His alleged family connection to Paan Singh Tomar has also drawn attention, though the arrest is linked to the separate Morena massacre case.