SURAT, March 22: The Rander police on Monday arrested two persons who were allegedly associated with the slain gangster Farooq Munshi. The accused, Himanshu Govind Panchal alias Hemu and Sultanali Noorali Virani, were held after their connection with the slain gangster was substantially established, the police said.Hemu is a resident of Naagar Falia near Paani Ni Bhit area of Bhagatalao and Sultanali resides at Karimabad Society on Ghod Dod Road, the police added. While Hemu came to know Munshi when they were lodged in the same jail, Sultanali came to know Munshi when he secured Hemu's bail.The accused will be produced before a magistrate on Tuesday afternoon, where the police will press for their remand.Providing details, the city special branch said that Hemu was arrested in 1989 in a case of attempt to murder and was served a sentence in the same jail where Munshi had been lodged. A land broker himself, Hemu also worked with notorious builder and land broker Hanskamal Grover, who is presently in jail.According to Hemu's confession, Munshi was formally introduced to Grover through one Vinaybhai of Divyas Dyeing in the city. Hemu also confessed that a month after escaping from Vadodara police's custody, Munshi contacted him and stayed in his house.Keeping in touch with him often, Munshi demanded Rs 3 lakhs from Hemu, which had been given to him by Grover. But according to Hemu, the money was his own and given to him as land brokerage by Grover. However, Hemu later settled for Rs 85,000, which he paid to Munshi in two installments.Sultanali came to know Munshi when he had gone to meet Hemu with another relative. He got Hemu released on bail and told the police that it was only because Munshi was a Muslim that he maintained relations with him. PSI S R Sharma of the Rander police station is investigating further.
