Maharashtra: Man who shot dead history sheeter at Hubballi arrested

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday arrested the man who allegedly shot dead a history sheeter at Hubballi district in Karnataka on August 6.

The ATS said the accused, Ankur Singh alias Golu, had been hiding at his relative’s place at Ulwe in Navi Mumbai. He was arrested after he came to Andheri station to take money from an acquaintance. On Wednesday, he was handed over to the Old Hubballi police, which is probing the murder case.

The ATS said that Singh, along with five others, had shot history sheeter Irfan alias Fruit Irfan while he was standing outside a commercial complex on Karwar Road in Hubballi.

“While the Old Hubballi police had arrested five others in the case, Ankur Singh, who fired upon Irfan, was absconding,” said an ATS officer.

“We received information that Singh is coming to Andheri to meet a person. As he was on the run, he wanted some money to survive. Accordingly, we laid a trap at the station area and brought him to our office for inquiry,” said Inspector Daya Naik. During interrogation, Singh confessed to the crime, he added.

The ATS said that Singh was earlier arrested in 2016 in a theft case. He was subsequently lodged in Arthur Road jail in Mumbai, where he become friends with the five other arrested accused in the murder case – Aftab Mohammadali Bepari (23), Tousif Sadiq Nippani (24), Atiyabkhan Tadkod (23) and Mohin Dadasab Patel (29), residents of Dharwad in Karnataka, and Amir Tamatgar (22) from Old Hubballi.

“He had come out of jail within 25 days but stayed in touch with them. One of the accused called Singh and said that he would be given good money to kill Irfan. Accordingly, Singh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, went to Hubballi and shot dead Irfan,” said an officer.

The ATS said that while they are yet to ascertain the exact motive behind the crime, they are probing the rivalry angle.