27 years after gangster Sadiq Kalia was killed in a police encounter, his nephew is arrested for avenging his death
Mumbai Crime Branch arrests gangster Sadiq Kalia's nephew for the murder of a 78-year-old Nagpada man four days ago, allegedly carried out to avenge a 1999 encounter of led by Daya Nayak
At 6.45 pm on April 20, when Seliya's wife and son were out, police said Javar and Mithani allegedly entered the residence and carried out the attack. CCTV cameras in the area captured their movements before and after, police said.
When Mumbai gangster Sadiq Kalia was shot dead in a police encounter at Dadar in 1999, his nephew, Sadiq Javar, was barely two years old. And yet, 27 years later, according to Mumbai Police, Javar allegedly went looking for the man he blamed for it — an “informant” whose tip-off had allegedly led to Kalia’s killing by a team led by “encounter specialist” Daya Nayak.
On the evening of April 20, the alleged informant Iqbal Ibrahim Seliya, 78, was alone at his home in Nagpada when two men walked in and attacked him with a chopper. They struck him more than 20 times and left only after making sure he was dead. When Seliya’s wife and son returned home, police said, they found him lying in a pool of blood.
Four days later, on Friday, the Mumbai Crime Branch said it had tracked down and arrested the alleged killers, Javar and an associate Naushad Mithani (22), in Nagpur.
According to police, Javar’s uncle Sadiq Kalia grew up in Kalachowki under difficult circumstances, selling shoes on the footpath to get by in the 1990s. When members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang came around collecting hafta (protection money), Kalia refused to pay. That “fearlessness” caught the attention of gangster Chhota Shakeel who recruited him into the gang, a police officer said.
Through the mid-to-late 1990s, Kalia and sharpshooter Munna Jhingada, who is now believed to be in Pakistan, allegedly carried out multiple killings across Mumbai. In late 1999, Nayak and his police team were waiting for Kalia in Dadar, where he had allegedly come to kill a prominent political leader.
Police say Javar, then a toddler, grew up in the shadow of that encounter and came to believe that Seliya, a Nagpada resident, had been the informant who sealed his uncle’s fate. Javar, a resident of Mira Road, is also related to the deceased.
At 6.45 pm on April 20, when Seliya’s wife and son were out, police said Javar and Mithani allegedly entered the residence and carried out the attack. CCTV cameras in the area captured their movements before and after, police said.
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After the murder, according to police, the two made their way to Antop Hill, then to Vidyavihar, where they boarded a train to Kalyan before hiring a vehicle to drive through the night to Nagpur, over 700 km away.
Acting on technical surveillance, officers said, a Crime Branch team followed the trail and caught up with them within four days. The accused allegedly confessed and described their escape route in detail, the police said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Senior Inspector Pradeep Kale of Nagpada police station confirmed the murder, the victim’s identity and said the investigation was “ongoing”. Sources in the Crime Branch confirmed that the arrest was made on Friday and that the accused are currently being brought to Mumbai for further legal process.
Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
Expertise & Authority
Affiliation: Reports for the nationally recognized daily, The Indian Express, providing his content with high Trustworthiness.
Geographical Focus: Provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of breaking news and investigative matters across Mumbai and the surrounding regions (e.g., Thane, Vasai).
Core Authority: His reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial beats, including:
Cyber & Financial Crime: Extensive coverage of sophisticated scams, including cases involving high-value cyber fraud, stock market manipulation scams, and fraudsters using government figures to gain trust.
Law Enforcement & Investigation: Reports directly on major police actions, including arrests made by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in fraud cases (e.g., MHADA flat scams) and detailed coverage of murder and kidnapping investigations.
Major Incidents & Public Safety: Covers significant incidents like building collapses, road accidents, and public safety issues such as theft at large public events.
Defence & Maritime: Also covers key updates regarding the Indian Navy, including the commissioning of new vessels and strategic defense announcements.
Manish Kumar Pathak's consistent focus on crime, fraud, and the workings of the Mumbai police system establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for critical news in Western India. ... Read More
