Munshi’s history sheet

SURAT, March 17: The son of a bank official in Ahmedabad, Farooq Ahmed Sultan Ahmed Munshi or simply FM as he was known, was said to be a bright student. But the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots changed Farooq for the worse. He took to crime and came over to Surat, only to be given shelter and provided with arms by anti-social elements here.

In early 1993, he is accused of gunning down Ramesh Vankawala alias Baalak, Naresh Nikam and Devlaa, all three anti-socials who were instrumental in further fuelling the post-demolition communal violence in the city that claimed as many as 300 lives. Senior police officials, investigating pending cases against Munshi told Express Newsline that he received both monetary support and shelter from members of his community before he branched out to extortion and supari killings.

Besides the sensational murders of Nikam, Vankawala and Devlaa, police had also accused him of shooting industrialist Babubhai Reshamwala in broad daylight in August, 1997. He was named as one of the four persons, who hacked Ashit Africawala alias Bunty to death in Nani Bazaar area of Rander in November last.

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Haroon Kutchchi and Ghulam Bombaywala, two others involved in Bunty’s murder have already been nabbed by the Bharuch police in December last. But Munshi was at large.

Last week, the police arrested Iqbal Tailor, involved in providing shelter to the killers and giving a foreign made revolver to Munshi in November 1998.

Munshi was disowned by his family after coming to know of his criminal activities.