Two days after a 55-year-old businessman, Abdul Munaf Shaikh, was killed in Juhu, police arrested the assailant, identified as Nadeem Shaikh, 29, who was captured on CCTV donning a black cap. Meanwhile, the main conspirator, Abdul Rehman Abdul Latif Shaikh alias Sonu, who was arrested late on Tuesday, has been remanded in police custody till August 28.
A day after the murder on Monday, Juhu Police had arrested Sonu, who had previous enmity with Shaikh over two main reasons-- a fallout of a 12,000 square meter land dispute where the deceased had purchased the land from Sonu's father at a throwaway price over a decade ago and a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in Andheri that the both of them were eyeing for.
A parallel probe was being conducted by the crime branch and three teams were made to nab Sonu's aide and the assailant, Nadeem. Accordingly, police teams had fanned out in Vakola, Junaid Nagar, Govandi and Juhu to nab Nadeem. Acting on a tip-off, a police team reached Govandi's Sathe Nagar and arrested Nadeem after a brief chase.
During interrogation, Nadeem confessed to his crime of plotting to kill Shaikh by slitting his throat and stabbing him multiple times when he was on his way back from offering morning namaz at an Irla mosque on Monday morning. Nadeem said that he was promised Rs 5 lakh for the contract killing, however, was not paid yet.
Probe also revealed that Nadeem was earlier arrested for murder charges by Vikhroli Police in 2014. Both accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder charges. Meanwhile, Juhu Police said, Sonu was produced before the Bandra magistrate court on Wednesday and was remanded to police custody till August 28.
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