A run-away child found by a Canadian non-resident Indian (NRI) at a railway station and hired as a domestic help to take care of his property and business in his absence turned out to be the mastermind behind the murder of Baninderdeep Singh, 42.

Baninderdeep Singh was killed by four motorcycle-borne assailants at the Thakur Colony area of Ludhiana on Monday.

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The Ludhiana Police said Bal Singh, 28, who was found by the NRI about 18 years ago at a railway station along with an estranged friend of the victim, hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Baninderdeep as he was nursing a grouse against his master for constantly scolding him.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu said Bal Singh, along with Baninderdeep’s friend, identified as Jagraj Singh alias Gaja, hired four killers to murder the NRI.

All six of the suspects have been arrested in the case. Four contract killers hired by accused Bal Singh have been identified as Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi, 23, of Jagdev Nagar, Sohil Ali, 22, of Mehmoodpura, Varinder alias Vicky, 22, of SBS Nagar and a minor from Dugri.

Sidhu said under the conspiracy, Bal Singh informed the contract killers about Baninderdeep’s location when he was accompanying him back to his residence at the Thakur Colony area.

The four killers, who had their faces covered, intercepted the NRI near his house and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons. Soon after the assault, Baninderdeep was rushed to DMC Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Bal Singh made the killers to inflict minor injuries to him too so that he won’t come under suspicion.

The police said Bal Singh was a suspect from the very beginning. He eventually confessed to have hatched the conspiracy after his connection with the four killers was established.

Sources said that Baninderdeep used to treat Bal Singh, who hails from Madhya Pradesh and had run away from home when he was nine to ten years old, as a family member.

“Baninderdeep used to keep Bal Singh with him all the time. He used to make it a point to make him sit with him during parties and functions. Bal Singh also used to take care of Baninderdeep’s house and business in his absence,” said a police officer dealing with the case, pleading anonymity.

“But of late, Bal Singh was nurturing ill will against Baninderdeep as he used to abuse him. The NRI’s parents had promised to Bal Singh that they would take him to Canada and give him a share in the property, but NRI Baninderdeep was opposed to this proposition,” said the officer.

“About four years back Bal Singh was getting married to a girl by claiming that he owns a farm house, but Baninderdeep revealed the truth to the girl following which the marriage proposal was rejected. Such things intensified Bal Singh’s hatred for Baninderdeep and he finally hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him,” added the officer.

Bal Singh roped in Jagraj, a friend of the NRI who also looking to settle scores with the victim over some property dispute, in the plot.  Then they hired the four contract killers for Rs 3 lakh and paid Rs 2.70 lakh as advance for the job.