Delhi Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a suspected aide of gangster Chhota Shakeel from northeast Delhi's Jafrabad area. Police said that the accused was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.
A senior police officer said that Naseem alias Rizwan (28), a sharpshooter and close aide of Shakeel, was in touch with the latter, who was giving directions to him to eliminate Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah. The police were on the lookout for Naseem, a contract killer wanted in several cases. On Tuesday, the police received a tip-off that Naseem would come to Jafrabad and a trap was laid accordingly. When Naseem saw the police personnel, he tried to flee but was nabbed after a long chase. A sophisticated pistol, four live cartridges and Rs 1.98 lakh in cash were seized from his possession.
During sustained interrogation, it came to light that Naseem was wanted by the Delhi Police's Special Cell in connection with an alleged conspiracy to kill Tarek Fatah. The Special Cell had, in June, arrested one Junaid Chaudhary for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy to kill Fatah. Naseem was wanted in that case. He was also involved in robbing a collection agent of a businessman of Rs 10.6 lakh last month, the police said. Naseem told his interrogators that he was in touch with Chhota Shakeel, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) A K Singla.
The officer further said that he was also supposed to meet a criminal called Munna Singh, through another criminal Rashid, who was lodged in the Bijnor Jail, he added. Singh and Rashid had told Naseem that he would get crores of rupees if he eliminated certain high-profile personalities in Andra Pradesh, the police said.
The accused also told the police that Shakeel had asked him to eliminate a person residing at Dwarka.