A 28-year-old wanted criminal and sharpshooter with a bounty of ₹50,000 on his head was arrested on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in several cases of robbery, extortion and attempt to murder.
Naseem alias Rizwan is the aide of Chhota Shakeel, the associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, the police said on Wednesday.
Alleged contract killer
Naseem, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh and is a resident of Mustafabad here, was arrested by the special staff of north-east district a tip-off regarding his arrival in Jafrabad in the Capital.
“We laid a trap near a private school on 66 Foota Road. Naseem turned up around 7.45 p.m. with an illegal weapon. Sensing police presence, he started running but was apprehended,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (north-east) A .K. Singla.
The police had put several local criminals under surveillance following some murders and robberies in the area recently. Naseem, who was also under surveillance, is an alleged contract killer.
Mr. Singla said Naseem got involved in criminal activities nearly 10 years ago, when his family shifted from Bulandshahr to Mustafabad. He sold garments on the street before he came in contact with local criminals and committed a murder, the police said.
“That’s how he came in contact with one Junaid Choudhary, who was in touch with Shakeel,” he added.
Naseem is wanted for allegedly planning to kill writer and activist Tarek Fatah and was hired by Shakeel for the murder.
Gokalpuri robbery
“Shakeel was in contact with Junaid and Naseem to give the latter directions to eliminate the writer,” Mr. Singla said, adding that Junaid was arrested by the special cell in June under the Arms Act.
Naseem is also wanted in connection with a robbery at Gokalpuri, in which a cash carrier belonging to a businessman was robbed in broad daylight. “We have recovered ₹1,98,000 from his possession in connection with the case,” Mr. Singla said.
Two arrests were made in the case last week and ₹2,17,900 recovered from Firoj and Mohd Asif.
“They told the police that the robbery was planned by Naseem and that he had assigned the task to four of them. Their accomplices, Matloof alias Chikna and Raju alias Arif, are still at large,” Mr. Singla said.
Naseem allegedly told the police during interrogation that he was in touch with Shakeel, who had asked him to kill a Dwarka resident.
“Naseem also revealed that he was in touch with Munna Singh, a criminal, through one Rashid, whom he had met in Bijnor jail. Munna was conspiring to eliminate some high-profile personalities in Andhra Pradesh,” said Mr. Singla.
