23-yr-old deaf-mute man uses his presence of mind to pull the accused down from the bus in which he was making an escape in Vakola; accused opened fire on a man who was allegedly having sex with his sister
In an incident that could send chills down the spines of residents of the city’s western suburbs, a young man was shot at in broad daylight in Vakola yesterday. A young deaf-mute local, who witnessed the incident, gave chase and used his quick thinking and reflexes to nab the assailant.
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On Thursday morning, Khan’s niece Saba, along with her young son, and Nasir, his nephew, waited near Noori Masjid in Kalina. As soon as Pal emerged, Saba pointed towards him. In a flash, Khan approached him and opened fire on Pal. Nasir, who was standing at a distance, escaped
The police have so far chosen not to acknowledge the role he played in nabbing the accused. Instead, the two traffic constables have been promised cash prizes for the bravery they showed in nabbing the shooter.
Witnessing the crime, Arshad Ali Saddiq Sheikh (23), a deaf-mute youth, started running after Khan, who had started running towards a BEST bus. Illustrations/Amit Bandre
Arshad Ali Saddiq Sheikh (23), a deaf-mute resident of Vakola, chased Izhar Khan (25) who was fleeing after having shot the man who had allegedly been having sex with his mentally challenged sister for years. Khan was carrying the revolver he had used. The victim has been identified as Ramchandra Pal (35) and is undergoing treatment at KEM Hospital in Parel.
Khan had jumped onto the bus and was trying to climb up the steps near the door. In the nick of time, Sheikh removed the muffler he was wearing around his neck and threw it round Khan’s neck, to restrain him
Sheikh, who had witnessed the incident, chased Khan through busy roads, without thinking for a second that he would meet the same fate as Ramchandra Pal (35). Police have arrested Izhar Khan (25) and his niece Saba Khan (22). His nephew Nasir, who is still at large, bought the firearms from his hometown Azamgarh.
Sheikh then pulled Khan down from the bus, and overpowering him, held him down. Traffic cops and other locals then rushed in and nabbed the man
Pal (35) is recuperating at KEM Hospital and is out of danger, said police officials. Pal received two bullets on his chest, and one on his finger. One was misfired and missed him. Khan had planned to take the 6.30 pm flight back to Malaysia after the deed was done. Khan works in a mall in Malaysia.
Ramchandra Pal (35), the victim, was having sex with the assailant’s sister for years and Arshad Ali Saddiq Sheikh (23), the deaf-mute youth who nabbed the shooter
According to police sources, Pal was having sex with Khan’s 45-year-old sister, who is mentally challenged. The matter had even come to the notice of the woman’s husband, but he wanted to sweep the matter under the carpet. The police officials said that a few years ago, the woman even conceived and delivered a child after Pal impregnated her, taking advantage of her mental instability.
The child was given away to an orphanage. Khan knew what was happening and had warned the man several times, but couldn’t touch Pal, who had some clout in the area. Saba’s in-laws had also found out, leading to problems. The three then hatched a plot to kill Pal. On Wednesday evening, when Khan landed in the city from Malaysia, his nephew Nasir had already arranged for a 7.65 mm revolver.
However, they did not anticipate that a young man would witness the shooting and risk his own life to chase Khan. Rahim Sheikh, a local, said, “Sheikh Arshad played a very important role in nabbing the accused. Without his intervention, Khan would have escaped easily.”
However, the police chief has declared a reward of Rs 2,000 each to the two traffic cops, while Sheikh got nothing. Another local, who witnessed the chase, said, “The two constables came only after Sheikh had pulled down the accused from the BEST bus. It is very sad that the cops have taken away credit from a handicapped person.
Instead, they should have presented him as an example of bravery by felicitating him.” Senior Police Inspector Vinayak Mulay of Santacruz police station said, “We have arrested Khan and Saba in the case. The hunt is still on for Nasir and we hope to arrest him soon. They will be produced in court on Friday.”
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