Bank loan recovery agent stabbed to death

Nagpur: A 42-year-old bank loan recovery agent was brutally murdered in his rented room at Gourkhera Complex under the Gittikhadan police station limits. The victim, Ajay Sribas, was found lying in a pool of blood with severe stab injuries that nearly ripped apart his stomach on Saturday, said police.The timing of the murder intensified the shock. Sribas had lost his mother just 14 days ago. Relatives who gathered for the last day rituals had left just a day before the Sribas' murder.As per police, Sribas' wife had left him around 13 years ago and lives separately with their 12-year-old son. On Saturday, Sribas went to Sitabuldi with friends for lunch. While his friends returned to their homes, he came back alone to his room. Later, the landlord heard a shrill cry for help from Sribas' room and rushed with a stick in hand. The landlord found Sribas lying in a pool of blood with deep stab wounds. He raised an alarm and immediately informed the police.Gittikhadan police reached the spot, shifted the body to Mayo Hospital for autopsy and summoned the forensic team. Senior officers also visited the crime scene. The gruesome murder created panic in the neighbourhood. Locals described Sribas as a cordial person with no known enemies or rivals in the area. A CCTV camera installed right in front of his house is reportedly non-functional, leaving investigators without immediate visual evidence. Police are now trying to recover any possible data from the device and are checking for footage from nearby cameras. Crime branch too has started a parallel probe. The police remain clueless about the motive behind the murder. They are probing multiple angles, including monetary disputes, professional enmity, personal rivalry or any illicit relationship. Investigators are scrutinising Sribas' mobile phone records to trace the last callers and frequent contacts in the days leading up to the crime. Gittikhadan police have registered a case of murder and launched a search operation to nab the perpetrator. As of now, no arrests have been made. The police are questioning relatives, friends and neighbours to gather more clues.