30 December,2015 10:30 AM IST | | A Correspondent
Abrar Khan is accused in the murder of activist Ejaz Khan in December 2012; the deceased was opposing the redevelopment of Millat Nagar and was allegedly shot dead by the gangster
The cops had been searching for this gangster for three years. It took the coordinated efforts of the police and the Crime Branch, and a midnight chase right out of a Bollywood potboiler to nab him. Abrar Khan (56) and three others had shot Ejaz Khan (44) dead on December 15, 2012 over plans to redevelop Millat Nagar.
According to sources, the Crime Branch Unit 9 officials got a tip-off that Abrar was in Mumbai and would be travelling from Mahim to Goregaon at 11 pm on Monday. In a few minutes, the Crime Branch informed the control room.
Representational pic
They passed on the car number in which he was travelling to the control room. Cops were informed all the way from Mahim to Goregaon and a nakabandi was put in place in the area.
Abrar just missed getting caught in the Khar-Santacruz stretch. At midnight, at SV Road in Andheri, he was nabbed by the Oshiwara police officials during the nakabandi. One revolver and four live rounds were recovered from the accused.
The murder
Ejaz was killed in December 2012 for opposing the redevelopment of Millat Nagar. Building residents were being coerced into agreeing to the redevelopment due to threats from the underworld. Abrar had allegedly also threatened residents in the past.
Ejaz was shot in the chest near Jogger's Park in the Millat Nagar area of Andheri (west). The deceased was a big hurdle in one of the accused Athar Khan's way. Athar was a committee member of the redevelopment project. Ejaz had teamed up with the local residents to oppose the redevelopment.
A police officer said, "Abrar is a sharpshooter and does supari killings. He is also involved in several cases related to narcotics. Crime Branch officers had gone to Madhya Pradesh a few months back where they stayed like villagers to nab him. Recently, Abrar had also taken supari to kill a Bengaluru-based businessman but it was not executed. It is very good that the Crime Branch and local police worked together." The officer added, "As 31st is near, we suspect he was in Mumbai to crack a big drug deal."
Additional Commissioner of police (crime) K M M Prasanna said, "It was a very good joint operation to nab Abrar. We were behind the accused for a very long time. His custody is now with the Oshiwara police where further investigations will be done."
