Police teams from Vadodara travelled to Durg and coordinated with local authorities there for two days before making the arrests. "Our operation in Durg continued for two days. (Source: File/ Representational)The June 26 firing on garment trader Ashish Kumar, who was shot in his moving car on Waghodia Road here, was the result of a contract killing plot allegedly hatched by his former employer based in Fiji, police said on Saturday.The crime was executed after over two months of surveillance, rehearsals and cross-country travel, police said after announcing two arrests in the case.Vadodara Range inspector general Sandeep Singh said the conspiracy was allegedly orchestrated by Jay Dayal, one of Kumar’s former employers, who convinced his employee, Vikram Pratap Singh, to return to India and eliminate Kumar.Kumar and Dayal had a long-running financial dispute. Vikram Singh, meanwhile, is an electronics engineer from Durg, the IG added.Police said Vikram arrived in New Delhi from Singapore on April 20 and got in touch with co-accused Gurjeet Singh to begin preparations for the hit.Over the next two months, the duo allegedly made repeated trips to Vadodara, watched Kumar’s movements, and identified escape routes. Police said that the two accused went to unusual lengths to avoid attracting attention while in Vadodara. “During one visit, they watched a movie at Pooja Mall. Before they shot Kumar, they had watched another movie at Bansal Mall,” Sandeep Singh said, adding that the actions reflected “the extent of planning and preparation involved in the conspiracy.”On the night of June 26, the men allegedly opened fire on Ashish Kumar’s moving car near Waghodia Chokdi before disappearing into the night and beginning their journey back to Durg. Investigators reconstructed the trail through CCTV footage, train tickets, mobile phone data, and an image captured outside a medical store.Story continues below this adIG Sandeep Singh said, “Kumar had previously worked in Fiji and had differences with his employer there before returning to India… the dispute eventually escalated into a contract to eliminate Kumar as Dayal urged Vikram Pratap Singh to travel to India to eliminate Kumar.”Vadodara district superintendent of police Sushil Agrawal said the accused had intended to kill Kumar. While Vikram allegedly drove the two-wheeler, Gurjeet Singh fired at Kumar from close range. Agrawal said, “The bullet entered the victim’s right shoulder and was removed several days later during treatment… Using technical surveillance, mobile phone analysis, human intelligence and digital tracking, we identified the suspects’ mobile numbers, addresses and movement history.”Police teams from Vadodara travelled to Durg and coordinated with local authorities there for two days before making the arrests. “Our operation in Durg continued for two days. With the assistance of the Durg police, we secured the custody of both accused and brought them here for further legal proceedings,” Agrawal said.Police have recovered the pistol allegedly used in the attack, two magazines and ten live cartridges from them. Police said they have uncovered a financial trail linking the alleged mastermind in Fiji to the accused in India. “We have so far traced financial transactions amounting to approximately Rs 2.72 lakh that were transferred from Fiji into the account of Vikram’s wife. He paid Rs 50,000 from this amount to Gurjeet Singh for carrying out the shooting,” Singh said.Story continues below this adPolice said they were now examining the possibility of the extradition of Jay Dalal. Sandeep Singh added that the police also recovered an air ticket for July 7, when Vikram was to escape to Fiji.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... 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