According to senior police officers from the special cell, the accused were just waiting for the right time to eliminate Rizvi.
Three men, assumed to be commissioned by absconding gangster and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim to kill Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board Chairman Wasim Rizvi, were caught by the Special Cell of the Delhi police on Friday in Bulandshehar, Uttar Pradesh.
The police had information that the trio was in touch with Dawood's right-hand man Chhota Shakeel's men from Dubai, and had been paid in advance to eliminate Rizvi in Lucknow. The police say the motive behind the killing contract would only be clear after interrogation.
Saleem, 45, has been identified as the main conspirator, who police suspect was in touch with one of Shakeel's close aides, most likely Fahim Machmach. The notorious henchman has worked with Shakeel for decades and was in Dubai in December 2017. It was Machmach who released a clip in 2017 to deny that Dawood and Chhota Shakeel had split.
The police, however, refrained from naming Machmach as the go-between, saying that they are yet to ascertain it's him. The other two men have been identified as Abrar and Arif.
According to senior police officers from the special cell, the accused were just waiting for the right time to eliminate Rizvi. DCP PS Kushwah (Special Cell) said the Force has received a tip-off about the conspiracy in March and police surveillance had begun then.
"Saleem had gone to Dubai in December to meet Chhota Shakeel's men. He was told that 'Bhai' (Shakeel) had approved the elimination and was given 3000 Dirham for weapons, recce and logistics," Kushwah said.
Saleem returned to India in March and recceed Rizvi's office and residence in Lucknow, police say. His security was also assessed to select when to strike. The DCP added that the trio had recently visited Delhi to meet one of their men, and efforts to trace him are underway.
D gangster
Saleem started out a petty criminal in Mumbai in 1992 and has been in prison. He later went to Saudi Arabia to work in the textile business and was later recruited by Shakeel’s men
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