Mandsaur murder: Accused Kuldeep Singh Rajput arrested from Rajasthan forest; confesses to killing co-worker

INDORE: A day after a man was found murdered near a temple in Kaithuli village of Mandsaur, police arrested the accused, Kuldeep Singh Rajput, from a forest area in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

He confessed to killing his co-worker during a drunken altercation. Forensic evidence, including blood-stained clothes and murder weapons, confirmed his involvement.The incident took place in the remote village of Kaithuli, located at the far end of Mandsaur district. SP Abhishek Anand said that the accused Kuldeep Singh Rajput, 46, resident of Jhalawar in Rajasthan was arrested and the weapons used in the crime, including a wooden stick, stone, and the blood-stained clothes were recovered.The case came to light on Tuesday when the body of a man was found in a bloodied state inside a roadside shelter near Bheru Bawji temple on Bhawanpura Road in Kaithuli village.Upon receiving the alert, Inspector Rameshchand Dangi, along with his team reached the scene and identified the deceased as Keshrilal Mali, a resident of Kaithuli. Investigators immediately launched a probe and registered an FIR after speaking with the victim's father Kanwarlal Mali and other family members.

SDOP Vijay Yadav visited the scene, and forensic experts including a fingerprint team and dog squad were deployed for collecting crucial physical evidence. The body was sent to the civil hospital in Bhanpura for a post-mortem. During the investigation, police zeroed in on the primary suspect, Kuldeep Singh Rajput, a resident of Jhalawar, Rajasthan. A search was conducted in areas like liquor shops, nearby fields, and forest regions.

Eventually, the accused was apprehended from a jungle in Rajasthan.During interrogation, Kuldeep confessed to the murder and revealed that he and the victim had been working together for the past week painting a Jain temple in Kaithuli. They would cook and sleep at a nearby shelter behind the temple. On the night of the incident, both had consumed alcohol and an argument escalated into a physical fight.Enraged by verbal abuse and threats, Kuldeep assaulted Keshrilal with a wooden stick, stone, and Kota stone slab, leading to his death. Blood stains found on Kuldeep's shirt, pants, and slippers corroborated his confession. He is now being produced before the court.