Ghaziabad, Jan 13 (IANS) The Ghaziabad police have arrested the alleged killer of former BJP MLA, Tripal Dhama, officials said.

The police said they came upon the murderer accidentally while checking vehicles on the National Highway 24.

“During vehicles’ checking at Galand turn on the National Highway 24, the Masuri police asked a car owner to stop the vehicle. Instead of complying with the police instructions, the person behind the wheel tried to escape,” said Ghaziabad SSP Raguvir Lal.

“The alert police overpowered him and detained him for questioning. During questioning, the person revealed his identity as Vicky alias Vikas, a resident of Binoli under Baghpat district,” Lal added.

“Vicky further revealed that he had killed former BJP MLA, Tripal Dhama. He disclosed that a nephew of Dhama thrashed his cousin Pradeep, who runs a gymnasium in front of the ex-MLA’s house in Binoli. Finding an opportunity, Pradeep also thrashed the ex-MLA’s nephews Anuj and Nitin sometime in October 2011,” Lal said.

After this incident, Dhama filed a case of robbery and implicated Pradeep and Vicky in the concocted case. The two cousins came out of jail on Dec 17, 2011. They then planned to eliminate the former MLA.

“On Jan 8, 2012, they shot him dead while he was at the tubewell of his agriculture farm near Binoli. After killing him, they went underground,” said the police officer.

“A pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from Vicky’s possession in addition to a car,” added the officer.

Tripal Dhama was the former BJP MLA from Barnava constituency in Baghpat district. He had been elected to the state assembly in 1993.