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Rampur, May 12, 2026 – Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district have cracked a murder case with the arrest of two men, including the victim’s stepson, in the killing of a car wash centre operator on October 10.
The victim, Navjot Singh, was shot dead at his washing point near Kumhariya Kalan village in the Milak Khanam police station area. Investigators believe the attack was the result of long-running family bitterness over his marriage.
Navjot, a resident of Tahkala village, ran a small car washing centre on a stretch used by local motorists. On the evening of the killing, witnesses said a grey-coloured Alto car stopped near the centre, and two people inside fired multiple rounds at him. Navjot died at the spot.
The crime scene was examined by police teams from Milak Khanam. Two spent shell casings were found near the body, giving the first physical leads. Officers also recorded statements from people in the surrounding area who had seen the vehicle.
A first information report was registered against eight individuals in connection with the murder. Police have not publicly identified all of them, but they have confirmed that the two men arrested later were the main shooters.
For two days after the killing, police teams from the Milak Khanam station and the district’s Special Operations Group (SOG) searched for the suspects. The break came on October 12, when officers received a tip that the attackers were hiding in the Peepalivan forest area near Nahal Barrage.
A police team moved in and arrested Avdeep Singh and Rajandeep Singh, also known as Rajvinder, without resistance. Additional Superintendent of Police Anurag Singh said the two were the main accused in the murder.
“Both attackers were involved in firing at Navjot Singh. They have been arrested,” ASP Singh said.
According to officials, the suspects were carrying two country-made guns, one pistol, six live cartridges and two spent shell casings. Police also seized the grey-coloured Alto car used in the attack.
The weapons have been sent for forensic examination. Officials are expected to use ballistic matching to connect the seized firearms with the cartridges recovered from the crime scene. That technical evidence will be key when the case reaches trial.
The first accused, Avdeep Singh, is the son of Navjot’s wife from an earlier marriage, making him the victim’s stepson. Police say he held a grudge because Navjot had married a woman who was several years older than he was. The marriage, according to investigators, had not been accepted easily by some members of the family.
The second accused, Rajandeep Singh, is the woman’s cousin — the son of her paternal aunt. Police have not said whether he had his own grievance or whether he joined the stepson on the day of the attack for other reasons.
Neither suspect has a known prior criminal record, which suggests the killing may not have been linked to any organised criminal network.
Investigators say the root cause was a family feud over Navjot’s marriage. The stepson, upset over the union, allegedly planned the attack. The cousin was present in the car and fired at the victim alongside him, police said.
“The motive appears to be a family dispute over the marriage,” a police officer involved in the probe said. The officer asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Police have not disclosed what role, if any, the other six people named in the first information report may have played. Officers have also not said whether they are still being sought or have already been questioned.
While the arrests are a major step, legal observers say the case is not closed. A murder conviction requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, and the evidence must clearly connect the suspects to the shooting.
“The recovery of weapons and the vehicle is strong, but the ballistic reports must match the spent cartridges with the firearms seized. That is the kind of technical evidence a court will look at carefully,” said a former lawyer who has handled murder trials in Uttar Pradesh and asked not to be named.
Witness testimony will also matter. Police have confirmed that statements were recorded at the scene, but they have not made those statements public.
The two suspects remain in custody while the investigation continues. Police teams are verifying whether any other suspects provided logistical support, arranged weapons, or helped the accused evade arrest.
Fresh teams are also checking whether the accused had any links to illegal weapon suppliers in the region. Senior officers in Rampur are monitoring the case closely.
The Milak Khanam police station is preparing to seek more evidence, including the results of forensic tests, before filing a final charge sheet in court. The initial FIR was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — India’s current criminal law — along with arms-related charges. The final set of charges, which is similar to an indictment in other legal systems, will depend on the forensic findings.
The murder sent a shock through the villages around Milak Khanam. Neighbours described Navjot as a quiet man who focused on his small business and was not known to be involved in disputes outside his family.
Police have appealed to residents to allow the legal process to move forward and not to speculate about the remaining suspects. They also said anyone with information about the case can contact the police station directly.
The case is a reminder that domestic disputes, when left unresolved, can turn deadly even in small towns. In Uttar Pradesh, murders rooted in family arguments over marriage, property and personal relationships are regularly reported, but each case is judged on its own evidence.
For now, Rampur police have said they are treating the killing as a criminal matter with no connection to organised crime. The focus remains on a family relationship that ended in violence.
The investigation is still underway. Police have pledged to bring all eight people accused in the case before the law.
