The police on Tuesday arrested Sana-ul Haq Hussain, the brother of Zia-ul Haq Hussain, who was found murdered in Dharavi on Monday afternoon. The arrest was made within hours of the body being found because of the police’s judicious use of technology and interaction with local residents.
The murder of 32-year-old Zia-ul Haq was reported to the police at around 12:50 p.m. on Monday. The body, with a gunshot wound in the forehead, was found in a narrow lane near Sangam Hotel in Dharavi. Another round was found lodged in a wall in the alley. A probe was launched after a murder complaint was registered against unknown persons.
WhatsApp to the rescue
Suryakant Bangar, Senior Police Inspector, Dharavi police station, said, “To stay in regular touch with residents in our jurisdiction, we had formed several WhatsApp groups and included members of various communities in them. We sent pictures of the victim to these groups and asked members to forward them and help us in identifying the victim. The picture was circulated and finally reached the victim’s brother-in-law on Monday night. He immediately came to the police station.”
The brother-in-law told the police that Zia-ul Haq was a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Dharavi. On further inquiry, the police found the victim’s brother, Sana-ul Haq, had been missing since Monday afternoon.
R.D. Shinde, Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Region, said, “Based on human and technical intelligence, we picked up the accused from the Kalyan railway station on Tuesday afternoon. He was waiting for the Kamayani Express and planning to flee the city.”
Following questioning at the police station, Sana-ul Haq allegedly confessed to the crime. An officer who was part of the investigating team said, “Zia-ul Haq took two cell phones from Sana-ul Haq’s friend and promised to pay for them later. Sana-ul Haq had stood surety for his brother, and the friend began to pressure him when Zia-ul Haq failed to pay up. On Monday, Sana-ul Haq and his friend confronted Zia-ul Haq. An heated argument followed and in a fit of rage Sana-ul Haq shot his brother twice with a country-made gun.”
Hunt on for accomplice
The police have charged Sana-ul Haq with murder under the Indian Penal Code and have launched a manhunt for his friend. Sana-ul Haq will be produced in court on Wednesday and the police will seek his custody to make further inquiries.
