Criminal wanted in cafe murder nabbed after brief firefight
A 23-year-old criminal was arrested on Friday after a brief exchange of fire in Delhi’s Timarpur area, who was wanted for murdering a man inside a cafe in Welcome area, an official said. The accused, Mohammad Moin Qureshi, had been on the run since January 23 after shooting dead 24-year-old Faizan inside King Cafe.
“A day after the incident, Qureshi posted a video on his social media account confessing to the murder. He later deleted the video and went underground. A team was formed to nab him. Subsequently, CCTV confirmed his identification,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik said.
The officer said that on January 23, around 10 pm, Faizan was shot multiple times inside the cafe in the presence of several customers. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot. An FIR was registered, and an investigation into the case began.
A team of the Special Cell was formed to nab the accused. The team received information on the evening of January 29 about his presence in the Trans-Yamuna area, DCP Kaushik said. In the early hours of Friday, Qureshi was planning to collect money in Timarpur to facilitate his escape from the city. The team laid a trap. When the accused arrived on a black motorcycle, he was signalled to stop and surrender.
“Instead (of stopping), Qureshi opened fire at the police team in an attempt to flee. After issuing a second warning, the team retaliated in self-defence, during which the accused sustained a bullet injury in his left leg. He was overpowered and taken to the hospital for treatment,” the officer said.
Police recovered one loaded semi-automatic pistol along with live and fired cartridges from his possession. During preliminary interrogation, Qureshi disclosed that he and the victim were known to each other and lived in the same locality.
“The motive behind the murder was a financial dispute after Qureshi borrowed Rs 30,000 from Faizan and failed to repay it. Qureshi claimed that the victim misbehaved with his father over the issue, following which he procured a pistol and shot Faizan multiple times after learning about his presence at the cafe,” he added.
Police said Qureshi studied up to class X and initially worked at a shop before turning to crime. In 2025, he was arrested in a scooter theft case. After being released from jail, he resumed criminal activities. Further investigation is underway.
