Plot to kill journalist: Accused was a driver of Ekta Kapoor

One of the four accused arrested for allegedly planning a hit on a city-based journalist, on the behest of a fugitive gangster, allegedly worked as a driver for producer Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor, said Mumbai crime branch officials.

The accused Abdul Karim Abdul Latif Shaikh was arrested on September 9 for allegedly providing a vehicle to the other three accused to kill a journalist. "During the course of our investigation, it was revealed that Shaikh had been working as a driver for Ekta and Shobha Kapoor few years back. Over a period of time, he had gained so much of their confidence that he free access to their homes as well," said a crime branch officer.

The Mumbai crime branch investigating the case, independently verified the information of Shaikh being an employee of the Kapoor's. "We cross-checked the information with the Kapoor's and they confirmed that Shaikh worked with them as a driver and had access to their house and their offices," said a crime branch source.

The investigating agency probing the case are trying to ascertain whether Shaikh passed on information about these celebrities to the gangster. The Mumbai crime branch on September 5 arrested Manchand Sonkar, Rambahadur Chauhan and Ashutosh Verma from the Marine drive area for allegedly planning to kill a journalist on the behest of a underworld don and recovered five bullets and a gun from them. Three days later crime branch arrested Shaikh for providing a vehicle to the trio.