Jaipur, July 3 : Police have arrested the prime accused in the sensational murder of former Chambal dacoit Jagan Gurjar inside the high-security jail in Ajmer, taking Vishnu Singh Jat into custody through a production warrant. Given the sensitivity of the case and tensions in Dholpur and other bordering districts, Vishnu was brought from the Ajmer High-Security Jail to the Civil Lines police station in an armoured vehicle under heavy security.

A large contingent of armed police personnel accompanied the accused during the transfer, led by Circle Officer Shivam Joshi, Civil Lines SHO Shambhu Singh Shekhawat and Sub-Inspector Giriraj Sharma.

Police are expected to produce Vishnu before a court and seek his custodial remand for further interrogation.

Investigators hope to establish the motive behind the murder and determine whether it was the result of a personal rivalry, a larger gang conspiracy, or possible collusion and negligence within the prison administration.

The murder took place on June 29, when Jagan Gurjar was found dead inside his barrack at the Ajmer High-Security Jail, considered Rajasthan's most secure prison.

According to the investigation, Vishnu Jat, who is also an accused in the high-profile Kuldeep Jaghina murder case in Bharatpur, allegedly strangled Gurjar using a towel and a gamchha (traditional cotton cloth) following an altercation or an old rivalry.

The incident triggered outrage over prison security and law and order, particularly in Gurjar-dominated areas of Dholpur district.

Investigators allege that after killing Gurjar, Vishnu attempted to pass off the murder as a suicide. Police said he allegedly tried to hang the victim's body from a ceiling fan, around 13 feet high, using the same gamchha in an effort to mislead jail authorities and forensic investigators. However, the crime scene and post-mortem findings reportedly indicated that the death was a case of strangulation rather than suicide.

The investigation has also revealed an alleged attempt to destroy evidence. According to police, Vishnu smeared toothpaste on the CCTV camera installed inside the barrack before the murder, preventing the incident from being recorded and hampering the initial investigation.

The case has also raised serious questions over security arrangements inside the high-security prison. According to prison rules, both Vishnu Jat and Jagan Gurjar were categorised as high-risk inmates and were lodged in separate barracks. Investigators are now probing how Vishnu allegedly managed to leave his designated cell and enter Gurjar's barrack despite stringent security protocols.

/IANS