Dehradun police arrested three persons on Saturday on the charge of committing robbery in the house of one Mufti Rayees at Patelnagar on July 15. A firearm, two cartridges, mobile phones and two cars aside from some of the stolen items were recovered from their possession. The accused have been identified as Shamli (Uttar Pradesh) residents Istikar alias Kari, a teacher in a Madrassa at Azad Colony in Patelnagar and Zahid, a driver. Two more persons identified as Shahwaz and Samme, both natives of Shamli who were also allegedly involved in the robbery are absconding. Police informed that Rayees is heading a Muslim religious organisation in Derhadun.
While being grilled, Istikar is said to have revealed that he had been teaching in a Madrassa at Azad Nagar Colony for the past 10 years. He had secured Rs seven lakh as loan from Rayees and Rayees had been pressuring him to repay the sum. Being not in a position to repay, he had hatched a plan to rob Rayees’s house and also to have him murdered. Accordingly, he had asked his four close aides- Zahid, Jarif, Shahnawaz and Sameer to rob Rayees’s house and to murder him. As per the plan, the quartet had made an attempt on July 14 night, but it had failed. However, they had made the same attempt on July 15 morning and this time, they had succeeded in committing the robbery at gun point. However, Rayees had been saved as he had not been present at his house at the time of the robbery. After Rayees’s daughter had registered a complaint at Patelnagar police station, teams had been formed to investigate the case. CCTV footages of the area had been recovered and reviewed. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested three suspects, found sitting in a car on Saturday morning. later, while being grilled, the trio is said to have admitted to having committed the robbery on July 15 at the behest of Istikar.