Prayagraj Property Dealer Shot Dead in Naini Over Financial Dispute; Accused Allegedly Recorded ‘Surrender’ Video Before Fleeing

Prayagraj: A 38-year-old property dealer was shot dead in broad daylight in the Naini area of Prayagraj on Sunday evening, allegedly over a dispute related to money transactions.

The shocking murder took place inside a property office in the Mardauka locality, where the assailants had reportedly arrived in advance and even switched off the CCTV cameras before carrying out the killing.

The deceased, identified as Azharuddin, was a resident of Mahewa Purab Patti in Naini. He was one of two brothers and two sisters, and the youngest of the siblings.

According to police officials, Azharuddin was associated with the property business along with his partners, including Arvind Bhartiya and Brijesh Kumar Nishad.

Police said Azharuddin reached Arvind’s office in Mardauka on his motorcycle at around 4 pm on Sunday.

Several individuals, including Arvind, Brijesh, and others, were already present inside the office. What initially appeared to be a heated argument soon turned violent.

During the confrontation, Azharuddin was allegedly shot at point-blank range in the right temple, killing him on the spot. The attackers then fled the scene in a Wagon RR car.

Soon after the murder, senior police officials, including Additional Commissioner of Police Ajay Pal Sharma, DCP Yamunanagar Vivek Chandra Yadav, and ACP Karchhana, reached the crime scene along with forensic experts.

Teams remained at the spot for several ho, urs collecting evidence and questioning people connected to the case.

Investigators suspect that the victim’s own business associates were involved in the murder.

Multiple police teams have been formed to trace the accused, while several individuals are reportedly being questioned in custody.

The murder investigation took a dramatic turn after CCTV footage from the office surfaced.

The office reportedly had one camera installed inside and four outside. Police recovered the footage, which showed Azharuddin arriving on his motorcycle and entering the office shortly before the incident.

According to officials, the recording captured sounds of heated abuse and physical scuffling moments after he entered. During the altercation, one of the accused allegedly noticed the CCTV camera.

The footage then abruptly ended after the camera was switched off, suggesting that the attackers deliberately disabled the surveillance system before escaping.

In another startling development, reports emerged that the accused later appeared outside the Atarsuiya Police Station at around 5:15 pm, barely an hour after the murder.

A short video, which quickly went viral on social media, allegedly showed one of the accused, advocate Brijesh Kumar Nishad, recording himself outside the police station.

In the video, Brijesh is heard saying that he, along with Arvind, Prince, and Bhupendra, had arrived at the police station to surrender.

However, police officials later stated that although the accused did come near the police station premises, they fled immediately after recording the video and did not actually surrender.

Senior police officers confirmed that the viral video helped investigators identify the accused. After watching the footage, police compared it with CCTV recordings from the office and intensified raids at the homes of all four suspects.

Police later recovered the WagonR car allegedly used in the crime from outside Arvind’s residence. Officials also raided Brijesh Kumar Nishad’s house, where they found the gate locked.

A signboard outside identified him as a High Court advocate. According to investigators, at least two advocates are suspected of being directly involved in the murder case.

DCP Yamunanagar Vivek Chandra Yadav said the victim was involved in property dealings, and the allegations currently point toward his own partners.

He added that some suspects have already been detained for questioning, and the vehicle seen in the CCTV footage has also been seized.

The officer further stated that police teams are using surveillance technology and CCTV footage collected from across the city to track down the accused and expressed confidence that all those involved would be arrested soon.

Referring to the viral clip, the DCP said the video clearly showed Brijesh, Arvind, Prince, and Bhupendra outside Atarsuiya police station before they fled from the spot. He assured that the accused would be arrested at the earliest.