The Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended a 29-year-old man and his associate for the alleged murder of a 78-year-old man, suspected to have been an informant in a 1999 police encounter. The primary accused, Shadiq Jawar, is linked to a former gangster, Shadiq Kalia, who died in a police encounter in 1999. Jawar supposedly orchestrated the killing of Iqbal Ibrahim Celia, believing he had disclosed his uncle’s location to the police, resulting in Kalia’s demise.
Investigators suggest that Celia’s tip-off to Daya Nayak, a renowned encounter specialist, led to Kalia’s death, fueling Jawar’s desire for vengeance. The fatal attack took place at Celia’s Nagpada residence on April 20, where he sustained over 20 wounds from sharp weapons. Subsequently, Jawar and his accomplice fled the scene but were tracked through CCTV footage, leading to their arrest in Nagpur.
The accused duo, Jawar and Naushad Mithani, reportedly admitted to their roles in the crime during police interrogation. Records indicate that Kalia, once a street vendor in Mumbai, later joined the underworld and was associated with Chhota Shakeel’s gang before his demise in 1999. Jawar, who was just two years old when his uncle was killed, allegedly nurtured a grudge that culminated in the recent incident. Further investigations are ongoing.
