Held for car theft, man found guilty in political murder

An accused arrested by Mumbai Police Crime Branch Unit 6 in a car theft case allegedly turned out to be the killer of Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) leader Mohammad Shami on March 18 in Allahabad.

The accused has been identified as Nasir Ahemad Qureshi, resident of Mumbai against whom cases were registered at least in seven police stations of Mumbai.

According to police, Qureshi was arrested on Saturday after they received a tip-off that he was hiding at the Christian village of Kurla for the past 20 days. "We had arrested him over car theft cases, but during the interrogation, we came to know that he, along with three others, had killed Shami in Allahabad and UP police were on the lookout for him. He, along with the others, had killed Shami in Allahabad over election rivalry. He has given us the name of his accomplices, one of whom was an opponent of Shami, who had contested election against him and lost. Qureshi was expecting to enter into politics in UP. Our probe is on," said a crime branch officer.

On March 18, BSP leader Shami was shot dead in an industrial locality in Allahabad when Shami, 60, got out of his car and was moving towards his house. Two men, who came on a motorbike, fired at him with bullets and fled. Allahabad police have sent a team to secure custody of Qureshi.