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Ex-Balrampur MP, kin among six held for SP leader’s murder
SP, Balrampur, Hemant Kutiyal said police investigation revealed that the two-time former MP Rizwan Zaheer, his daughter Zeba Zaheer and her husband Rameez hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Feroz Khan
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Former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Balrampur Rizwan Zaheer, 57, his daughter, son-in-law and three others were on Monday arrested for the murder of SP leader Feroz Khan alias Pappu, 46, over political rivalry last week, said senior police officials.
They said Khan was murdered by two masked assailants near his house in Balrampur district late on January 4 night. The assailants had first attacked Khan with a blunt object on the head before slitting his throat barely 20 metres from his house on Jarava road, the police added.
Pappu was the former chairman of Tulsipur Nagar Panchayat, a position currently held by his wife, Kahkasha Feroz. Pappu was preparing to contest the assembly elections from Tulsipur constituency and was seeking ticket from the Samajwadi Party.
Superintendent of police (SP), Balrampur, Hemant Kutiyal said police investigation revealed that the two-time former MP (in 1998 and then from 1999 to 2004), his daughter Zeba Zaheer and her husband Rameez hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Feroz with help of one Shakeel and got it executed through their two long-time aides Merazul Haq and Mahfuz.
He further said the former MP, his daughter and son-in-law as well as Shakeel were arrested after the assailants revealed their names during interrogation. As per the SP, the former MP was seeking a Samajwadi Party ticket from Tulsipur assembly constituency in the upcoming polls and Khan was also eying the same ticket.
Kutiyal said the assailants also revealed that the former MP had even told them to take names of some family members of Khan for hatching the murder conspiracy in case they got arrested. The SP said the assailants told the police that they had been trying to kill Khan for the last many months and had made three abortive attempts earlier.
He said the iron rod used in hitting Khan, the knife used in slitting his throat and an illegal pistol had been recovered from Merazul Haq and Mahfuz.
The SP Balrampur said at least 14 criminal cases, including those related to murder, attempt to murder and rioting, had been registered against former MP Rizwan Zaheer between 1987 and 2021. He said the action under the National Security Act was also initiated against the former MP after his name surfaced in causing trouble during panchayat elections last year. Two criminal cases, including one of attempt to murder, were also registered against his daughter’s husband Rameez in 2021, the SP added.
A senior Samajwadi Party leader and party MLC, who did not wish to be named, said: “This could not have been over the ticket as Rizwan Zaheer rejoined the SP just recently (in October 2021). Anyone can be a ticket aspirant but the ticket hasn’t been decided yet. The incident could be personal and the party has nothing to do with it.”
