Nagpur: More than 48 hours have elapsed since the shocking murder of Nagpur photographer Vinay, also known as Bablu Poonekar, yet the killer, Hemant Shukla, remains untraceable.
A police team has embarked upon the trail of the killer in Azamgarh area of Uttar Pradesh. Despite the arrest of Hemant’s girlfriend, Sakshi Grover (35), a resident of Mankapur, the investigation is shrouded in mystery.
Meanwhile , the Sadar Police produced Sakshi in the court on Monday and obtained her police custody till February 29. According to police, the accused Hemant Shukla, a resident of Azamgarh brazenly entered the house in broad daylight and fatally shot him twice. The investigation has faced hurdles, exacerbated by the recent transfer of competent officers from the Crime Branch, experts in such investigations. Despite the quick arrest record of the police in the past cases, Hemant Shukla remains at large.
Notably, the Vinay Poonekar had filed a complaint with the cyber police approximately a year ago and had accused Hemant of threats and extortion. The matter, however, was not treated with the seriousness it warranted. Sakshi Grover, in police custody, has not provided clarity on the conversations between Vinay and the accused. Her mobile phone, a potential source of crucial information, has had its audio and chat records pertaining to Vinay deleted. Efforts to recover the data have proved futile.
The police are now considering adding charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy to the case. Vinay, running a photography business, had many visitors for photo shoots everyday.
The investigation into the murder of Vinay Poonekar is ongoing, with key challenges arising from the untraceability of the accused and hurdles in obtaining crucial information from the arrested accomplice. The police are actively pursuing leads and considering additional charges to bring the perpetrators to justice. The case is marked by the lack of attention to past complaints and the potential involvement of extortion and criminal conspiracy.
