The city crime branch on Monday claimed to have arrested 13 underworld members involved in the discharge of firearms outside the Juhu residence of film producer Ali Morani on August 23, as part of an extortion bid. The police also claimed that the group was on its way to kill a well-known Hindi film director and producer, as the firing outside Morani's house had yielded no payoff. The arrested thirteen are in Ravi Pujari's gang, police said, adding that a wanted accused man is currently in the United States of America.
Some of the alleged gang members are Ishrat Baadshah Shaikh, Mohammad Hasnat Khan, Azim Khan, Ashfaq Sayyed, Asif Khan, Shahnawaz Shaikh, Firoz Abdul Sayyed, Shabbir Shaikh, Rahim Khan and Mohammad Anees Merchant. The arrested persons are from Mumbra near Thane.
CAUGHT BEFORE BULLETS COULD FLY
Joint commissioner of police (crime) Sadanand Date said that recently a tip-off was received by police inspector Jagdish Sail, about a gang having possession of firearms. The police further learned that the gang was supposed to shoot a well known film producer and director in Khar (W).
A trap was laid at 11th Road in Madhu Park on November 15, and the accused were arrested.
"The instructions given to the gang were that they must open fire either on the producer, or his brother, or his son, or anyone present at the spot at the time," Date said.
"During interrogation, it emerged that three of them were involved in the firing outside Morani's house as well as the conspiracy to kill the well-known producer. Their interrogation led to the arrest of three more persons involved in the Morani firing case. Thus we have arrested 13 members of the gang, of which three are involved both in the Morani case as well as the conspiracy to kill the producer," said additional commissioner of police, crime, KMM Prasanna.
A WELL-ORGANISED GROUP OF HITMEN
As per Date, the arrested accused were assigned different tasks. "One group took instructions from the gang leader, who is abroad. The second group did a recce of the spot, the third procured weapons, and the fourth was to do the shooting," he said.
A police source said, "We are on the lookout for two more persons in this case. While one is Pujari, the other person is one Ubaid Merchant who is believed to be in the USA."
Police said they have seized four country-made pistols and 15 live cartridges from the persons arrested.
PUJARI'S INSTRUCTIONS
"A gang member who had been in touch with Pujari told us that Pujari had said to him, 'The Morani firing yielded no results. Do something big. Shoot him (the film producer),'" a police officer said.
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