Police on Wednesday said the key accused in the killing of the father of former Bihar minister and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni had been arrested and that he was murdered over a Rs 1.5 lakh loan.
The mutilated body of Jitan Sahni, 70, was found at his home in Darbhanga district on Tuesday.
Police said they have arrested the prime accused, identified as Qazim Ansari, a resident of Supaul Bazar locality where the former minister's ancestral home is located.
During interrogation, the 40-year-old told police that he had borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh in three installments from Jitan Sahni.
ALSO READ | Jitan Sahni Lived In A Brick House Across Son's Big Home
The loan was taken at four per cent monthly interest against a piece of land he owned. The accused, however, was unable to take back the piece of land because of his "inability to pay", police said.
"On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, Qasim along with his associates entered Jitan Sahni's house and asked for the documents of his land. Sahni refused to hand over the documents and started abusing them. This irked Ansari and he stabbed him with his associates assisting him in the act," the police statement said.
"After the murder, the accused tried to find the key to the lock on the almirah so that they could take the land documents. However, they didn't find the key and decided to throw the wooden almirah in a nearby pond so that the documents get destroyed," the police added.
A search is underway to trace Ansari's associates, police said.
Featured Video Of The Day
NDTV 'Jai Jawan': John Abraham's At World's Toughest Battlefield
Police Arrest Suspect In Bihar Dalit Girl Kidnapping, Murder Case Dalit Girl, 14, Hacked To Death With Sickle In Bihar, Cuts Found On Face Prime Accused In INDIA's Bihar Ally's Brutal Murder Arrested Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah To Be Prosecuted In Land Scam Case Kolkata Rape-Murder: Fractures, 150 mg Semen, Other Claims Denied By Cops Pak-Origin 26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana Can Be Sent To India: US Court Mumbai University Invites Applications For Distance Learning Courses 17 Palestinians Killed In Israeli Strike On Gaza Amid Raging War Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.