Army deserter charged with murder received a 14-day judicial hold

• ​​​​​​​Army deserter Sandeep Yadav who allegedly fatally stabbed a SP police MLA on board a train

• Accused was produced in Sultanpur court on Monday after he was caught during a robbery attempt in Madhya Pradesh 
• A police officer observed that Rakesh Kumar was stabbed and his carbine was looted while he was traveling in the Shramjeevi Express

Army deserter Sandeep Yadav (32), who allegedly fatally stabbed a Samajwadi Party (SP) police MLA on board a train near Sultanpur railway station nearly three months ago, was jailed on Monday after a Sultanpur court sent him to 14-day judicial custody.

A senior police official said the accused was brought to Sultanpur by the Government Railway Police (GRP) on transit remand after he was arrested while trying to rob a jewelery shop in Chindwada, Madhya Pradesh on January 16. He said the GRP officials have decided to secure his remand for further questioning.

A police officer observed that Rakesh Kumar (who was attached to SP MLA Suhaib Ansari) was stabbed and his carbine was looted while he was traveling in the Shramjeevi Express on October 24 last year. The shooter died eight days later.

“We had no idea about the whereabouts of the assailant and three months later, on January 17, the Madhya Pradesh police informed us that they had arrested an army deserter while he was trying to rob a jewelery shop. Yadav also confessed to stealing a carbine from police personnel on the Sharamjeevi Express. A GRP team led by DSP Sanjeev Sinha rushed to the MP and found that it was the same carbine looted from the police shooter,” he added. “We have initiated proceedings to bring the accused to Sultanpur in connection with a case of murder and loot registered here.

A police official said initial interrogation revealed that Yadav was stationed in Meerut and did not report to his unit even after his week-long leave ended in July 2022. He said the MP police recovered stolen carbines, khukri (a type of short sword). with a pronounced recurve) and an army ID from the possession of the accused after his capture.

The official said the accused confessed to assaulting a police marksman and stealing his carbine. He added that the accused was angry after his friend cheated him on the pretext of starting a business after which he took a loan of ₹12,000. He said the accused left his army unit and made some quick money apparently by committing crimes.

The GRP had initially registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 394 (loot) against the October 24 incident at GRP Sultanpur police station. Section 307 of the IPC was amended to 302 (murder). after the shooter's death.