Lko: Mistaken identity leads to auto driver’s murder in attempt to rekindle love affair
The incident, which occured on December 30, 2024, in Madeyganj, was initially considered a random crime due to the lack of any clear motive or enemies of Rizwan, said police.
In an attempt to rekindle a past love, a lawyer’s misguided revenge plot led to the killing of an innocent auto driver. What was meant to be a targeted murder of the father, Irfan Ali, of his former girlfriend turned into a case of mistaken identity, ending the life of Mohammad Rizwan, a 35-year-old driver from Lucknow.

The incident, which occured on December 30, 2024, in Madeyganj, was initially considered a random crime due to the lack of any clear motive or enemies of Rizwan, said police. However, after a 13-day investigation, the police unveiled the chilling truth behind the murder—a planned contract killing stemming from a failed love affair.
According to deputy commissioner of police (Central) Raveena Tyagi, the victim was not the intended target. “The shooters were hired to kill the father of a young woman living in Lucknow, but due to a misunderstanding, they mistakenly shot Mohammad Rizwan instead,” Tyagi explained on Sunday.
Rizwan, a resident of Bhikampur, Mahanagar, was simply doing his job on the day of the murder, taking a passenger to Madeyganj when the attackers ambushed him. After the shooting, the police were initially unable to solve the case, as Rizwan had no known enemies and there was no apparent motive.
The breakthrough came when investigators linked the murder to a love affair gone awry. Aftab Ahmed, a lawyer, had been romantically involved with a junior colleague, said police. After the woman married someone else in Delhi, Aftab sought to reignite their relationship by eliminating her father, who lived alone in Lucknow. Aftab believed that by killing the father, his former lover would return to Lucknow and their relationship would resume.
To carry out the murder, Aftab enlisted Mohammad Yasir, promising him ₹2 lakh in exchange for the job. Yasir, in turn, recruited Krishnakant alias Sajan to assist in the operation. The duo conducted a reconnaissance of the woman’s father’s house on December 29, but on the night of December 30, they mistakenly targeted Rizwan, who resembled the intended victim, Irfan Ali.
After the murder, the killers demanded their payment from Aftab, but the lawyer, realising the mistake, refused to pay, claiming that the actual target was still alive, revealed police. This led to a dispute between the conspirators, which eventually unravelled the plot.
With the help of extensive surveillance and the scanning of over 200 CCTV cameras, the police tracked down the killers. On Sunday, Aftab, Yasir, and Krishnakant were arrested, bringing an end to the tragic case of mistaken identity.