‘Another Kaskar associate was also target’

According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy,the Crime Branch probe reveals that the two arrested,Syed Bilal Mustafa Ali (29) and Indra Bahadur Khatri (27),had been given specific orders to shoot Abu Bakr as well as another associate of Kaskar. The second target escaped as he was not present when the attack was carried out.

Besides,another suspect,the man who police believe paid the two shooters money for the killing,Umed alias Rehman,is wanted in two earlier gangland attacks in which Chhote Miyan was murdered and Asif Dadi was injured. Two shooters had been arrested last year for these attacks,which were believed to have been carried out at the behest of Chhota Rajan.

Police sources reveal that investigations show the motive of Tuesday’s attack as a dispute between Abu Bakr,who also doubled as Kaskar’s driver,and Umed,who police believe paid Rs 50,000 each to Bilal and Khatri.

During interrogation,Bilal and Khatri allegedly told police that,during a recce of Damarwala Building where the attack had taken place they were shown two men and instructed to kill both. It has been clearly established that the other target was not Kaskar,police said.

The Crime Branch is also probing Chhota Rajan’s claim that he had given the orders for Tuesday’s attack. “We are investing and verifying the claims made by Chhota Rajan,and also finding out how making such a claim would benefit him,” said Roy.

A police officer involved in the investigations,however,says,“The motive was a dispute between Umed and Arif. The exact nature of the dispute is still being ascertained. According to available information,Umed called Rajan and told him he was going to eliminate Arif. He said he feared that he himself would be murdered unless he took out Arif. Rajan told him to take care of things the way he wanted to,without knowing the sensitive area where the murder would be carried out.”

“While two shooters had been arrested in the Chhote Miyan and Asif Dadi cases in October last year,a third accomplice was wanted. Umed is the person,” said the officer.