Police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the murder of Gopal Singh, a top executive of a coal mining company outsourced by the NTPC here.

Singh, the HR general manager of Thriveni Sainik, was gunned down outside the house of a woman friend in the upscale Jullu Park locality on December 4.

Police arrested Md Muzzamil, who allegedly is one of the conspirators, but the mastermind, Katkamdag mukhiya Uday Saw, is absconding.

According to SDPO Kamal Kishore, Saw hired three sharpshooters from Patna to kill Singh over a transport contract.

The policeman said Saw wanted the transport business in the coal mines of NTPC, but Singh showed no interest in awarding Saw the contract. Saw contacted Muzzamil and Ambedkar Bhokta of Keredari, disgruntled Thriveni employees. The trio decided to eliminate him. Shooters from Patna were given accommodation by Saw. The murder recce was done for eight months.