‘Probe butcher’s role in Nadeem Saiyed murder’

The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), Ahmedabad, investigating the murder case of RTI activist Nadeem Saiyed, have received five applications from people across various sections of society demanding the arrest of Sultan Pathan, who is believed to be involved in the murder of the activist.

DCB police inspector Paresh Solanki, the investigating officer in the case, said that the applications have demanded the arrest of Sultan, a butcher who is active in Juhapura. The crime branch, which has already arrested Kalu Gardan and Mushir, is looking into the allegations and have begun interrogating Sultan to ascertain his role in the murder.

"Sultan's role is being interrogated in the murder case. We are probing from all angles but nothing conclusive has emerged establishing his involvement in the case. Applications have blamed him but we'll interrogate fully before making any arrests in the case," Solanki said.

Nadeem's family members have also alleged Sultan's role in the activist's murder. The family members also say that the trio of Kalu Gardan, Mushir alias Bachcha and Sultan considered him a thorn in their cow-slaughtering business and so decided to eliminate him.

The applications further state that the trio were not on good terms with Nadeem Saiyed who used to expose their illegal slaughtering of cows. In fact, Nadeem had informed police that the trio were the perpetrators behind the police vehicle-torching act, which took place a week before the slain activist's death, and not the people who were originally arrested.

Nadeem, a social activist from Juhapura, was stabbed to death by a group of four to five people on November 5 near his residence. Investigators suspect that he was killed because of his role as a whistle-blower in cow and calves poaching cases.