Nearly four months after a 27-year-old man was beaten to death over a trivial dispute about applying chandan (sandalwood paste) at a religious fair, police have arrested three key accused from Gujarat’s Surat city. The men had been working incognito as private security guards on a metro rail project.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Surat Police picked up Akash Singh alias Saurabh Singh Rajput, Satyam Singh Rajput, and Ajit Singh Rajput from Olpad’s Masma village late on Tuesday. According to officials, the trio was living there to evade the Rewa police dragnet.

Hiding in plain sight

Sources familiar with the matter said the accused had been working as private security guards at a metro rail construction site in Surat. They were arrested following a specific tip-off that suspects in the riots and murder case registered at Rewa’s Panwar police station were hiding in the Adajan area. Surveillance was mounted before the arrests.

All three have now been handed over to the Madhya Pradesh Police after initial legal proceedings.

The January dispute

The sequence of violence began on January 1, 2026, during a religious fair in Shivpur, Rewa district. Organisers were applying chandan on visitors’ foreheads as a welcome gesture. The victim, Atif Ahmad Shaikh, who had arrived with friends, refused to have it applied.

What started as a minor objection quickly escalated. Two communities clashed at the fair, leading to a brawl. Police investigations later revealed that the accused held a grudge after that day’s events and planned to “teach him a lesson.”

Brutal attack caught on video

The fatal assault took place on January 27. Atif was travelling in a tempo when the accused intercepted him on the road. The three arrested men, along with unidentified accomplices, attacked him with sticks.

A viral video of the incident shows the victim being pinned to the ground while assailants rain down blows repeatedly. Initial reports indicate he was struck over 40 times in roughly three minutes.

Atif was rushed to a hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

100-member SIT formed

Given the communal undertones and the brutality of the crime, Rewa’s Superintendent of Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising over 100 personnel. Despite multiple raids across the district, the accused remained elusive.

“The accused changed their identities and travelled to Gujarat. They even managed to get private security jobs, which shows careful planning,” a local police officer said on condition of anonymity.

The victim’s family had named five residents of Champagarh village under Panwar police station: Shivam Singh Thakur, Ajit Singh Thakur, Saurabh Singh Thakur, Satyam Singh Thakur, and Shakti Singh Thakur. Three of them are now in custody.

What next

With the arrests closing a four-month manhunt, police are now probing if the accused had local help in Surat. Officials said efforts are on to trace the remaining accused. The case continues to draw attention as the viral video reignites concerns over mob violence over minor disputes.