Cops still suspect possibility of supari killer being roped in to kill the RTI activist in Vakola
Two days after an RTI activist from Santacruz was shot dead by unknown assailants at his residence, the Mumbai police have arrested two persons including a former corporator for their alleged involvement. The cops have not ruled out the possibility of the professional supari killer's involvement behind the shootout, as family members mourn the death and vow to pursue his mission against land mafias.
Bhupendra Vira (60), a resident of Razzak Chawl of Kolavari village road in Kalina at Santacruz East was found in a pool of blood at his residence when he was watching Television, his wife Ranjana was inside the washroom when she heard a thud which was not loud enough to suspect a gun fire. When she came out, she found Vira on the floor in a pool of blood. The doctors later found a bullet wound on his head.
The Mumbai police arrested Razzak Khan, a former corporator along with his son, for their alleged involvement and on the basis of the complaint filed by the Sudhir Gaala, the son in law of the RTI activist.
"We will not let his killing go in vain, we will continue with his mission which gave land mafias sleepless nights as he fought for the right and was against law breakers who grabbed the land and indulged in wrongdoings", said Sheela Gaala, Vira's daughter-in-law.
"The motive of the killing was clear that the land mafias were feeling the heat after the civic body took actions against them so they wanted my father-in-law to be silent on the issues which were pursued by him", Gaala added.
"Razzak Khan is involved in various illegal developments and now his other sons and family members are absconding since the incident. Several complaints were filed against him for threatening him and they finally decided to kill him so that they can continue to violate the norms. My father had no enemies accept the Khans as my father-in-law exposed his illegalities to the civic body forcing them to take actions against him", Gaala further said.
The Vakola police registered a case under section 302(murder) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of the Arms act against Razzak Khan and his sons.
"We suspect that a professional killer was roped in to kill the activist while a recce was conducted before striking him down. We have arrested two persons so far, and are interrogating the duo to establish the motive behind the killing", said a Vakola police official.
"We are investigating the case and are awaiting for the ballistic report, the interrogations of the two persons are in process while the arrests are based on suspicion and we have to ascertain all the angles in the case", said Ashok Dudhe, PRO for Mumbai police.
RTI activist's murder
The Mumbai police have not ruled out the possibility of a supari killer who used a sophisticated weapon attached with silencer which had an intensity to kill without alerting the locals or the occupants in the house.
"The wife of the deceased claimed that she heard just a thud which is abnormal during the shootout which raises suspicion that a sophisticated weapon mostly used by sharp shooters attached with underworld was roped in, to do away with the RTI activist", said a senior official from Mumbai police.
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