Nagpur/Mumbai: In a sensational breakthrough, the Mumbai Crime Branch has cracked the brutal murder of 78-year-old Iqbal Ibrahim Seliya in Nagpada, revealing that the crime was the result of a chilling 27-year-old revenge conspiracy. Two accused, identified as Sadiq Jawar and his associate Naushad Mithani, were arrested from the Tajbagh area in Nagpur.
According to police, the murder took place on April 20 at around 6:45 pm, when Seliya was alone at his residence. The accused allegedly barged into the house and attacked him with sharp weapons, inflicting over 20 stab wounds, leading to his death on the spot. Family members later discovered his blood-soaked body upon returning home.
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During the investigation, it emerged that the prime accused, Sadiq Jawar, is the nephew of notorious gangster Sadiq Kalia, a known associate of the Chhota Shakeel gang. Jawar suspected that Seliya had acted as an informant in the 1999 police encounter in Dadar, in which his uncle was killed. Driven by this long-held suspicion, Jawar allegedly plotted the murder as an act of revenge.
Police sources revealed that Sadiq Kalia was an active sharpshooter of the gang during the 1990s and was gunned down in an encounter in 1999. At the time, Jawar was just two years old, but investigators believe he grew up harbouring a deep desire for revenge.
The probe further indicated that the accused had conducted prior reconnaissance of the area before executing the crime. After the murder, they fled Mumbai, travelling through Antop Hill, Vidyavihar, and Kalyan before reaching Nagpur in a private vehicle.
Acting on technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the Mumbai Crime Branch tracked the accused to Nagpur and arrested them from the Tajbagh locality within four days of the crime. During interrogation, both accused have reportedly confessed to their involvement.
Police are continuing their investigation to ascertain whether more individuals were involved in the conspiracy.
