4 held in Kamla Market murder

Four youths have been arrested for killing a man and opening fire at another while fleeing after robbing a shop at Kamla Market earlier this month, police said on Friday.

Four country-made pistols along with 14 live cartridges have been recovered from Shamim Akhtar, 23, Sadiq, 21, Mohammad Uvesh, 24, and Mohammad Salim, 25. With the arrests, five cases of robbery and attempt to murder have also been solved.

According to Devesh Chandra Srivastva, additional commissioner of police (central), five armed goons had entered a small handicraft unit near Zakir Husain College around 11 am on October 8.

They frisked everyone, including shop owner Mohammad Shaqeel and his four workers, and took away around Rs 8,000 in cash and a mobile phone.

Minutes later, they were stopped by hawker Mohammad Sultan Ahmed, 45, and 60-year-old Nawab Ali. Witnesses said a scuffle followed and one of the robbers took out a pistol and opened fire. Two bullets hit Nawab’s hand and foot. The goons then shot Sultan in the head and fled firing in the air.

Sultan’s brother Rizwan immediately reached the spot and rushed his brother and Nawab to Lok Nayak Hospital, where Sultan was declared brought dead.

A call was made to the police control room after which the area was cordoned off. Three used cartridges of .315 bore and a live bullet were found.

The gang was busted after information was received on Thursday that four to five men from Bihar — carrying illegal firearms and involved in various cases of robbery and attempt to murder — would gather at DDU Park near Ranjit Singh flyover.

A trap was laid and around 4.25 pm and they were arrested. One of the accused took out a country-made pistol and aimed towards the police party, but the policemen overpowered them.

On sustained interrogation, Shamim, Sadiq, Uvesh, and Salim told police that they had targeted Shaqeel’s handicraft unit after they got information that Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh were kept there.