Nagpur: A taxi driver from Mominpura in Nagpur was hacked to death by two unidentified passengers whom he was taking to Amravati. The murder took place in the early hours of Sunday at Shiv Parvati Colony of Nandgaon Peth on the outskirts of Amravati, according to reports in local Dainik Bhaskar and Times of India dailies.
The deceased has been identified as Azeem Khan Khalid Khan (27). According to police, the assailants had boarded an auto-rickshaw of one Mohsin from in front of Pride Hotel on Wardha Road shortly after Saturday midnight. It is, however, not clear whether the duo had arrived by flight or any other transport.
Mohsin had taken them to Sitabuldi before contacting Azeem Khan to ask him whether he was ready to take the passengers to Amravati in his cab. Khan, who had a case of attempt to murder registered against him at Tehsil Police Station, was heading to Amravati when some unspecified reason had led to the murder.
According to reports, the assailants used a sharp knife to slash Khan’s throat. CCTV footage obtained by the police from nearby routes showed the two ‘passengers’ fleeing with the car of the cabbie. The car met with an accident around one km from the crime spot, say sources. The car had skidded down the roadside before landing into a nullah. Another CCTV had captured the two assailants fleeing on foot in injured condition.
Suspecting that the injured duo would go to hospital for treatment, the police searched several hospitals in and around Amravati, but they are yet to be nabbed.
According to Amravati Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy, the assailants seem to be hardcore criminals, which was evident from the manner of inflicting the fatal injury on the vulnerable side of the neck which had ruptured the jugular vein. The two assailants were well-dressed and carrying rucksacks on their backs. They were tall and sturdy. After the murder, they did not use cell phones so as to avoid getting tracked through cell tower locations, said Reddy, adding the motive behind the murder is not clear yet. Reddy said during the journey, Khan may have come across something about the duo, following which he was murdered.
Nagpur Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has assigned one Crime Branch team to assist their Amravati counterparts. “We have contacted airlines and sought a list of flyers who arrived in Nagpur,” said Kumar.
According to the report, It is being said that Azim Khan was attacked by two accused. He kept knocking on the door of Laxman Shiganjude’s house located in Shiv Parvati Colony, shouting for help, but this family did not even open the door. After this, the accused went away after killing him.
