Sacked Tata Steel employee arrested for murder of senior manager in Faridabad

Pandey, who hails from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh had purchased a pistol and 25 cartridges worth Rs 90,000 for committing the crime. Two days prior to Diwali, he also fired two “practice shots” in a park in Faridabad during the day.

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“Before committing the crime, he managed to speak to a multinational corporation (MNC) in Singapore and secure a job with them. He had already applied for a passport and visa through RMR visa company in Chandigarh, and was scheduled to fly to Singapore on the 15th of this month,” said PRO Singh. “He was produced in the court today and has been remanded to three days in police custody, during which he will be further questioned,” he said.

The incident had occurred on November 9, around 1.10 pm, when Pandey went to the company’s office in Faridabad and shot, 35-year-old Arindam Pal, five times inside his cabin before fleeing the spot. Although Pal was rushed to Fortis Escorts hospital, he was declared dead upon arrival.

In the aftermath of the incident, a case had been registered against Pandey by name, with other employees having recognised him as he fled the spot. TSPDL had confirmed that he had been employed with them between 2015 and 2018, and had been sacked in August this year. Pandey, however, has claimed he was working there for 11 years.

Pal’s relatives had claimed that Pandey had been sacked after an inquiry was initiated against him when he grabbed a senior executive’s collar at a company party in June. He was laid off in August on the basis of a report submitted by Pal, among others, accusing him of misbehaviour. They had alleged that, ever since he was fired, Pandey had been threatening the senior manager, through email, phone calls, and also sending him pictures of himself with a gun via WhatsApp.

Arindam’s wife had said, “He told us a few weeks ago that Pandey had come to the main gate, and his colleagues told him he was waiting for him there. My husband had been getting threats from him. To avoid him entirely, he left his car in the office and left the premises from another gate in a cab.”