Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 5 Jun: Rajpur Police have finally arrested Amit Bhateja, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Ajay Bhateja, who was killed at his residence in Jakhan, Dehradun, last year. The police stated that the accused, Amit Bhateja, had allegedly orchestrated the murder of his stepbrother over a property dispute. With his arrest, all three accused in the case have now been apprehended. The other two accused, Rajan alias Jackie and his girlfriend Humera alias Zoya, are already in jail. Bhateja carried a reward of Rs 50,000 over his head.
The arrest was disclosed by the Doon Police here today in the presence of SSP Pramendra Dobal. According to police, the case came to light on 26 May 2025, when Jatin Kumar, a resident of GMS Road, lodged a complaint stating that his cousin Ajay Bhateja had been murdered by unidentified persons at his residence in Jakhan. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Rajpur Police Station and a special team was constituted to investigate the matter and trace the accused.
During the course of the investigation, the police started gathering information regarding the possible persons suspected of involvement in the crime. Last month on 19 May, 2026, the Police managed to arrest notorious criminal Rajan alias Jackie, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, who had allegedly carried out the murder. During the interrogation, Jackie confessed that he had murdered Ajay Bhateja on the instructions of Amit Bhateja with the assistance of his girlfriend, Humera alias Zoya. He revealed that on 25 May 2025 he and Humera had smothered Ajay Bhateja to death by pressing a pillow over his face inside his Jakhan residence.
Based on the disclosures made by Jackie, SSP Premendra Dobal had announced rewards of Rs 25,000 each on the arrest of Humera alias Zoya and Amit Bhateja. Acting on the information received through sources, the police arrested Humera from Saharanpur on 23 May, 2026.
Subsequently, the Police intensified efforts to locate Amit Bhateja and conducted raids at all his suspected hideouts. After sustained efforts, the police finally apprehended the absconding accused outside the District Court in Dehradun. During the arrest, the officials recovered a bag containing property-related documents and papers relating to certain vehicles, which are currently being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
Addressing the media, SSP Premendra Dobal stated that Ajay Bhateja, the elder stepbrother of the accused, was allegedly addicted to alcohol and owned substantial properties in Dehradun and Mussoorie. According to the police investigation, a significant portion of the investment in these properties had been made by the accused’s father. Amit Bhateja had reportedly approached his brother on several occasions seeking a share in the properties. However, Ajay allegedly refused to part with any portion of the assets and was instead spending money on his personal lifestyle and alcohol consumption. Dobal further stated that action would also be taken against the accused under the Gangter Act.
The Police claimed that this led Amit Bhateja to hatch a conspiracy to eliminate his brother. Investigators revealed that on 23 May, 2025, Amit took Rajan alias Jackie, Humera alias Zoya and another individual to a cottage owned by Ajay Bhateja in Mussoorie. During the visit, Amit allegedly informed Jackie about the ongoing dispute over the properties and proposed that Ajay be ‘removed from the scene’. In return, he allegedly promised Jackie half of the Jakhan property and assured him that his name would not surface in a firing incident that had earlier taken place in Nakur, Saharanpur, in which Jackie was reportedly implicated. Police said Jackie agreed to execute the murder following this offer. As per the plan, Jackie and Humera allegedly entered Ajay Bhateja’s Jakhan residence on 25 May, 2025, and killed him by suffocating him with a pillow before fleeing the scene. Ajay Bhateja was reportedly too drunk to resist the attack. The Police further stated that on the following morning, Amit allegedly entered the room after ensuring the opportunity was favourable and removed the property papers and other important documents from the premises.
Police said that after the recent arrest of Jackie and Humera and the emergence of his name during the investigation, Amit Bhateja had been moving discreetly and was reportedly on his way to meet his lawyer at the Dehradun court complex when he was intercepted and arrested by the police. The Police now claim to have solved the murder case in its entirety with the arrest of the alleged mastermind. All the accused reported to be involved in the conspiracy and the execution of the crime have now been arrested.
