Jaipur: A 32-year-old constable of 12th RAC battalion was arrested Wednesday for allegedly gunning down a 40-year-old labour inspector in Jaipur’s Bagru area. Police also booked four people, including the accused’s brother, for criminal conspiracy.ADCP (west) Alok Singhal told TOI that the accused, Ajay Katariya, surrendered at Phulera police station on Tuesday morning following the killing. Acting on a complaint from the victim Shankar Lal Balai’s family, police registered an FIR naming Katariya, his brother, and two others—Shiv Narayan and Pooran Mal—as co-accused.Katariya used his service self-loading rifle (SLR) to fire multiple rounds at Balai, killing him on the spot. Police said the shooting stemmed from a long-standing personal dispute.According to investigators, the motive traced back to Katariya’s broken engagement with Balai’s cousin, a woman constable in Jaipur Police. “After her father, Pooran, abandoned the family, Balai became her guardian. She called off the engagement in Oct 2024 after discovering Katariya’s true nature,” an official said.Balai’s family alleged a wider conspiracy. His father, Sukha Ram, and uncle, Mohan Lal, claimed Pooran Mal may have instigated the attack. “Pooran and Katariya both threatened my son. Balai stood by Pooran’s family when he deserted them,” Sukha Ram told TOI.Katariya was suspended, and an inquiry is underway into how he fled with the SLR rifle. Sources said the 12th RAC battalion, stationed in New Delhi, is reviewing his duty roster to determine whether he skipped duty that day—a lapse that could invite disciplinary action.
