Dewani murder case accused arrested in UP

MUMBAI: Ahmed Mushir, a sharp shooter in the Abu Salem gang who allegedly shot dead film producer Ajit Dewani in 2001, has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and would be bought to Mumbai on Sunday.

The UP STF caught Mushir in an operation on Friday, crime branches sources said, adding he would be produced in a holiday court after his arrival in Mumbai.

Mushir is one of the absconding shooters who allegedly shot dead the film producer and former secretary of actress Manisha Koirala after he failed to pay an extortion amount.

Salem was extradited to India from Portugal last November on the basis of eight cases pending against him in Indian courts. One of them was the Dewani murder case.

Besides Salem, seven accused have been arrested for their alleged complicity in the murder of Dewani in 2001.

They are Upendra Singh, Nizamuddin Abdul Rauf, Akhilesh Singh, Ayub Ibrahim Patel, Sahiblal Giri, Shah Alam and Deepak Singh alias Dipu.

Dipu recently escaped from police custody in Varanasi while he was being taken from jail to a court. He was sent to Uttar Pradesh for trial in a criminal case there.