The main accused in the killing of former Janpad Panchayat president Bharat Singh and two others has surrendered before police, taking the total arrests in the case to eight.

The mastermind behind the brutal murder of BJP leader Bharat Singh alias Lalla Singh and two others, who were burnt alive in their vehicle, surrendered before police on Saturday along with three other accused.

Manoj Tripathi, identified as the main conspirator, surrendered at the Manendragarh police station along with Nishant Tripathi, Aman and Ashutosh Tripathi. Police had been conducting extensive search operations across multiple states to trace the absconding accused.

The August 16 Attack

The incident occurred late on June 16 in Naugain village of Koriya district when a group of assailants blocked a Fortuner vehicle by positioning trucks in front and behind it. The attackers then doused the vehicle with petrol and set it ablaze, killing those trapped inside.

The victims were former Janpad Panchayat president Bharat Singh alias Lalla Singh, his cousin and teacher Nagendra Singh, and another person who succumbed to injuries in Ambikapur. A fourth person was injured and referred to Raipur for treatment.

Police Confirm Surrender

Manendragarh Superintendent of Police Ratna Singh confirmed the development, stating that continuous police pressure and raids had compelled the accused to surrender.

"Police teams were conducting raids across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to locate the accused. Photographs of the suspects were circulated to police forces in neighbouring states," Singh said.

She added that the investigation would now be pursued further by the Koriya police to establish the complete sequence of events.

Sand Mining Dispute Background

The murder stemmed from a long-running dispute over illegal sand mining and extortion between the Singh and Tripathi families in the region.

According to sources, the sand mining contract at Chirmi ghat was awarded to Mayank Singh approximately eight months ago. Following this, the Singh family began collecting ₹1,000 per truck from illegally mined sand from Sonhat, Kailashpur, Telimuda, Belia and Chhingura.

The Tripathi family, which owns tipper vehicles and transports sand to district headquarters Baikunthpur for sale, refused to pay the levy. This disagreement had created tension between the two families for several months.

Escalation and Assault

The immediate trigger for the murder was an assault that occurred on Tuesday when Nishant Tripathi was attacked by members of the Singh family near Shivghat in Naugain. An FIR was registered at the Sonhat police station in connection with the assault.

Bharat Singh had gone to Naugain village on the day of the murder, reportedly in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, the assailants launched a planned attack, trapping him and others in the vehicle before setting it on fire.

Political Connections

Bharat Singh was a close associate of Baikunthpur MLA Bhaiyalal Rajwade and a known strongman in the area. Accused Manoj Tripathi is considered a close associate of former Union Minister of State and BJP MLA Renuka Singh.

The family feud had also drawn the attention of law enforcement earlier. A complaint regarding an illegal siren fitted on Bharat Singh's Fortuner was filed at the Sonhat police station. Police removed the siren reportedly under pressure from Renuka Singh, which further escalated tensions, according to sources.

Arrests So Far

Four accused — Akshat Tripathi, Satyaprakash Tripathi, Mannu Tripathi and Vishal Tripathi — were arrested earlier in the case. They were produced before court on Thursday evening and sent to judicial custody.

With the surrender of Manoj Tripathi and three others on Saturday, a total of eight people have now been arrested in connection with the triple murder. One accused remains absconding, and police teams are continuing their search operations.

Public Outrage

The incident has sparked widespread outrage in the region. The Karni Sena has warned of protests and declared that it stands with the victim's family until justice is delivered.

Former Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo criticized the state government's failure to control sand mafia activity in the region.

"Police had information about the rivalry and tension between the two families. Despite this, three people were murdered," Singh Deo said. "Sand mafia is so powerful that a government employee was killed on the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border. If you cannot control this, then the contract system should be abolished."

The Investigation Continues

Police have appealed to the public to maintain peace as the investigation proceeds. The case has also raised questions about the involvement of political leaders in the sand mining mafia and the failure to prevent escalating violence between rival groups.

ED Raids Builder, Jeweller Premises in Chhattisgarh Over Bharatmala Links

Enforcement Directorate teams conducted early morning searches at multiple locations in Durg-Bhilai and Bilaspur on Thursday, targeting properties linked to a prominent builder-politician and a leading sarrafa businessman in connection with the ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in land compensation under the Bharatmala project.

The action, which began in the early hours, focused on financial records, property documents, and investment details at the residences and offices of those under scrutiny. Officials were seen carrying out detailed examination of papers related to several firms.

Searches in Durg-Bhilai

Teams from the Enforcement Directorate zeroed in on the premises of Chaturbhuj Rathi, director of Amar Infra (also referred to as Amar Builders), a known name in the construction sector and a BJP functionary. Raids took place at his residence and office in Durg, where officers spent hours scrutinising records of nearly half a dozen associated companies.

Local sources said the teams were particularly examining land-related transactions and investments. A separate team also visited the factory and residence of Govind Mandal in Bhilai as part of the same operation. The activity continued through the morning, with officials documenting various files.

Action in Bilaspur

In Bilaspur, a larger contingent of over 10 ED officials targeted the home and business establishment of Vivek Agrawal, a prominent jeweller running Shri Ram Jewellers in the Sadar Bazaar area. The searches are understood to be linked to financial trails connected to his brother, Vikas Agrawal, who is wanted in a separate liquor scam case and reportedly close to certain political figures.

Investigators are examining possible syndicate connections and fund movements that may overlap with the larger land compensation probe. The operation in Bilaspur appeared focused on tracing assets and transactions that could have links to the main case.

Background of the Bharatmala Compensation Probe

The current raids form part of the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering investigation stemming from alleged irregularities in compensation payments for land acquired under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, particularly stretches of the Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor.

Earlier probes by the state’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had flagged manipulation of revenue records, including backdated mutations, partitions, and inflated claims in several villages. Patwaris and Revenue Inspectors allegedly prepared cases that were forwarded to collectors, leading to disbursement of compensation that raised red flags.

In some instances, land was reportedly purchased in the names of relatives of influential people shortly before acquisition notifications, allowing them to claim higher payouts. The EOW has already filed a chargesheet in a related matter involving around Rs 32 crore in alleged embezzlement and arrested several revenue officials, including a former SDM.

Political Names and Official Scrutiny

The scandal has drawn in names from both BJP and Congress circles, with reports of former ministers, MLAs, and senior leaders from various parties figuring in the web of connections. ED officials are tracing links through close associates and family members to establish the extent of involvement.

A dozen former collectors from districts including Raipur, Korba, Dhamtari, Bilaspur, and Durg are also under the scanner. In Korba, irregularities are said to be particularly pronounced, with questions being raised over the role of multiple collectors, including women officers who served there.

Initial findings suggest that in certain pockets, compensation was distributed in a seemingly arbitrary manner, prompting deeper financial scrutiny by the central agency.

Recent Momentum in Investigation

The Thursday operation comes days after ED teams conducted searches at eight locations in Raipur, Abhanpur, Dhamtari, and Kurud, where cash worth Rs 66.9 lakh and 37 kg of silver were reportedly seized. Those raids too were tied to the same Bharatmala land compensation irregularities.

The agency is now widening its net to include builders, businessmen, and property dealers who may have facilitated or benefited from the alleged irregularities. Property dealers and middlemen—nearly two dozen of them—have already come under the lens.

Impact and What Lies Ahead

For residents in the affected districts, the prolonged probe has brought uncertainty over land records and ongoing infrastructure work. The Bharatmala project, meant to improve connectivity, has seen its fair share of controversies regarding acquisition processes across states.

Officials familiar with the matter indicated that Thursday’s searches yielded documents that could further strengthen the money laundering case. The ED is expected to continue questioning those whose premises were searched and may issue summons in the coming days.

Further action could include attachment of properties if proceeds of crime are established. The agency is also separating its probe into the role of senior IAS officers from the state-level EOW findings against lower revenue staff.

As the investigation progresses, more details on the scale of the alleged scam and the involvement of political figures are likely to emerge. The case underscores the challenges in ensuring transparency during large-scale land acquisition for national infrastructure projects.