Taxi driver murder case: Terror angle not ruled out: Police

22 January, Dharmasala

In view of the recent Pathankot attack and Republic Day on January 26, the terror angle is not being ruled out by the state police in the taxi driver murder case, in which the taxi is yet to be traced. On January 14, three men rented a taxi from Gaggal Chowk for Pathankot and allegedly strangulated its driver Vijay Kumar, who was found dead by the police on January 20 in Kangra valley.

Additional Superintendent of Police Pankaj Sharma said the police was investigating the case with a criminal angle. However the terror angle could not be ruled out. The ASP said the family of the victim had lodged a missing report with police on January 16 and on January 20, the body of Kumar originally from Gurdaspur (Punjab) and now residing at Gaggal was recovered from under a bridge on Pathankot-Mandi national highway, an area falling under Jawali police station.

The three youths too were absconding after allegedly strangulating Kumar to death.He said there was no input with the state police till now about the recovery of the missing taxi from any where.The ASP said police sounded an alert in Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and even in Delhi but the missing vehicle was yet to be recovered.

He said alert sounded in view of the Himachal Day and Republic day that fall on January 25 and 26 respectively too.The police teams were dispatched to Kathua and Lakhanpur immediately after the recovery of the body. Police was taking help of the CCTV footage of the Gaggal Chowk, however, no clues were so far found anywhere, Sharma added.

The taxi drivers of the area feel harassed following the murder and decided not to take late night passengers to distant places, said Taxi driver association leader Vikrant.Chief Minister Virbhdra Singh said state police was actively searching the three youths who indulged in murder and fled with the taxi.