Mumbai: A 55-year-old man’s plan to sleep at night in the quiet confines of a mosque in Airoli on Wednesday went horribly wrong when he was beaten to death for unknown reasons. Police said Istiak Ahmad Roshan Ali Shaikh, originally a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was killed around 1.20 a.m. on Thursday, allegedly by Nabi Abdul Shaikh, 40, who had also come to the mosque to sleep.
Primary investigation by the police revealed that the accused had disturbed the victim, leading to an altercation. In a fit of rage, Nabi hit Istiak on the head with an iron microphone stand, and fled. “We took the victim to hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. We have sent the body for post mortem and are awaiting reports. The motive is still not clear; prima facie it seems like the murder happened in a fit of rage,” Senior PI Pradeep Tidar, Rabale police station, said.
The accused, who also hails from UP, is yet to be apprehended, and a manhunt is on. “We are working closely with our informers here and also in UP to nab the accused. There could be some previous rivalry as well,” Mr. Tidar said. A murder case against Nabi has been registered.
The writer is a freelance journalist
