Padgha firing case: ‘He shot them only after asking for their names’

The accused Suraj Devram Dhokare, Firoz Rafiq Shaikh the victim and Firoz Rafiq Shaikh, the victim (Pic/Hanif Patel)

The parents and relatives of the Padgha firing victims are not buying the police theory that the killer cop tried to loot the motorcycle-borne men. Instead, they have accused senior officials of Thane Rural Police of suppressing the actual matter of a hate crime. The relatives said that Azim Aslam Sayed and Firoz Rafiq Shaikh were fired at by the constable only after he learned that both the men were Muslim.

Suraj Devram Dhokare stopped them near Ambadi Naka and told them that his father was asthmatic and he needed directions to reach Bhiwandi at the earliest. The policeman, who was alone on a motorcycle, requested that they help him reach the hospital at the earliest. So Azim and Firoz asked him to follow them," said Wasim, the elder brother of Azim who succumbed to the bullet injuries on Sunday.

Azim Aslam Sayed, who was shot dead by the accused; Firoz Rafiq Shaikh, the victim who had to be hospitalised after the attack (Pic/Hanif Patel)

According to Wasim, after following the duo for nearly 12 km, Dhokare asked them to stop their scooty as he wanted to answer nature's call. "Soon after, he opened fire on them," Wasim said. Prior to his death on Sunday afternoon, Azim gave a statement to Padgha police saying that soon after they stopped, the masked man inched closer to them and asked for their names. After hearing their names he took out a pistol tucked in his trousers and opened fire on them. "This is similar to the incident where one RPF constable killed Muslim passengers inside a train," Wasim added.

"The first bullet injured Azim's right hand and passed through the abdomen area. Still, he managed to escape to a safe place. But Dhokare chased him down and fired again, injuring his thigh. Though he was limping, he covered 1.5 km from the spot. Meanwhile, Firoz sustained one bullet wound and fell into a nearby nullah," he said.

By now, Azim had called his relatives to inform them about the attack. "We contacted our friends who reached the spot and located both of them. They were first rushed to a nearby clinic and then taken to Sion hospital," Wasim said, adding that the police had not arrived when he reached the spot and it took them three to four hours to get there. "After scanning the call logs of my brother's phone, we learnt that he had also called the Police Control Room and ambulance for help. But none of them arrived on time." Azim's father Aslam said, "The cops told us that Dhokare tried to rob them but he didn't take a single penny from them. Azim was wearing a silver bracelet and silver ring, and carrying around Rs 15,000 in cash."

The cop-turned-bandit in police custody (Pic/Hanif Patel)

When team mid-day visited Azim's house in Virar his mother Salima broke down, seeking justice for her son. "We are innocent people… we live a hand-to-mouth existence. The constable who killed my son must meet the same fate. His children must also become orphans like ours…," said the grieving mother. Meanwhile, Rafiq, the father of Firoz who is battling for his life, said that Dhokare must have figured out that the men were Muslims as they had beards. "He asked for their names just to be sure."

According to Rafiq, no government representative or politician has visited them so far. "Senior police officers came to the hospital and told us that they had arrested the accused. What difference does that make to us? How does his arrest serve our purpose? It was not a robbery attempt gone wrong, but a hate crime," he said, adding that they don't accept the police theory.

Azim's aunt Shamim said, "If the killer constable was in debt of Rs 42 lakh, why did he not kill himself using the same gun? The cops are saying he is mentally unstable and that's why he opened fire. Had any Muslim done this, he would have been branded as a terrorist they would have tried to establish his links to Pakistan. The Thane Rural Police is just trying to suppress the matter."

Meanwhile, Azim's maternal uncle Shaikh Mukhtar questioned why Dokhare was carrying a pistol and why the cops were not saying who it belonged to. "Even if we accept the theory, is there anyone who approached Dhokare to give a contract to kill Azim and Firoz to neutralise the huge debt? We want a clear picture," he said. Azim's younger brother Nadeem said the government must compensate the family as it was "an irreplaceable loss".

Calls and messages sent to Padgha police in-charge Sanjay Sable and Superintendent of Thane Rural Police Vikram Deshmane went unanswered. Sources at Padgha police station told mid-day that Dhokare works in a firearm repairing unit with Mumbai Police Quick Response Team (QRT). "The firearm he used was sent for repair at the office, but he brought it home without letting anyone know," a source said, adding that Dohkare's wife is also in the police department, posted at the Thane police headquarters. Azim and Firoz's families are planning to stage a protest march at Padgha police station if timely justice is not delivered and the actual story behind the attack is not revealed.

09.30 pm
Time of incident on Friday

Eight
No of rounds killer cop fired