MP district on high alert after 'Stoneman' serial killer kills three; cops issue sketch

Three security guards were murdered in separate incidents in Sagar city in the last 72 hours with police suspecting that the same person might have killed at least two of them

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Bhopal: Three security guards were murdered in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar city in the last 72 hours with police suspecting that the same person might have killed at least two of them. While the killings caused panic and also led to speculation about the involvement of a serial killer, police officials on Thursday said it would be too early to jump to any conclusion. Police also issued a sketch of a suspected killer. A reward of Rs 30,000 (Rs 10,000 for each case) will be given for any information leading to the arrest of the culprit or culprits, said Sagar district superintendent of police (SP) Tarun Nayak. 

Police also issued an advisory to the institutions and other establishments deploying security guards that these guards should remain awake during night duty hours. If they find any suspicious person roaming around, they should immediately inform the police control room whose mobile numbers were also publicized. 

Security guard Kalyan Lodhi, who was in his 50s and deployed at a factory, was killed on the intervening night of August 28-29 under the Cantt police station limits. His head was found smashed with a hammer, Additional Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh Kushwaha said. Shambhu Narayan Dube (60), who was on guard duty at an arts and commerce college, was killed on the intervening night of August 29-30 under Civil Lines police station limits. His head was found smashed with a stone, the official said.

In the third incident, watchman Mangal Ahirwar, who guarded a house in Moti Nagar area, was killed on the intervening night of August 30-31 after being hit with a stick, said Kushwaha. While it seemed that Lodhi and Dube were killed by the same person, the number of culprits could be more, he added. 

SP Tarun Nayak said the killings in Cantt and Civil Lines police station areas were similar in nature and appeared to have been executed by the same person. Based on CCTV footage and scientific evidence collected so far, the police were working to nab the killer at the earliest, he said. It was too early to say if the culprit was a "serial killer" or someone suffering from a psychological disorder, he added. 

Police have got some definite leads about the culprit and special teams have been constituted to nab him, the official further said. Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra told reporters in Bhopal that the "entire police force has been put on high alert." 

"Watchmen on night duty are also alerted. We are also making the public aware of the issue. CCTV footage from the entire Sagar city was being collected. At one or two places in the CCTV footage, a person was seen running away from the spot," he said. It appears that the same person was behind these incidents, but till the culprit was arrested, it was not possible to say anything definitive as it can cause confusion, the minister added. 

In 2018, police arrested 'serial killer' Aadesh Khamra from Mandideep in MP's Raisen district for allegedly killing 34 truck drivers and cleaners in a decade. He is currently lodged in a jail in the state capital Bhopal and the trial is underway, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bittu Sharma said.