65-year-old wanted in Mumbai riots case arrested after 31 years on the run

Sayyad Nadir Shah Abbas Sayyad, who was on the run for over 31 years, was arrested when he went to meet his ailing mother, said the police. A resident of Ismail building in Sewri, Sayyad had been arrested soon after the riots on charges including attempt to murder, unlawful assembly and rioting

MUMBAI: The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg police in Central Mumbai have arrested a 65-year-old man wanted in connection with the 1992-93 Mumbai riots following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Sayyad Nadir Shah Abbas Sayyad, who was on the run for over 31 years, was arrested when he went to meet his ailing mother, said the police.

65-year-old wanted in Mumbai riots case arrested after 31 years on the run

A resident of Ismail building in Sewri, Sayyad had been arrested soon after the riots on charges including attempt to murder, unlawful assembly and rioting. “However, after getting bail, he disappeared and never appeared before the court to face the trial. Police teams tried to search for him, but all of them learnt that he had secured a job in Saudi Arabia,” said a police officer from the RAK Marg police station.

Around two months ago, a team headed by police sub-inspector Pallavi Jadhav was informed that Sayyad had returned from Saudi Arabia and had settled in Belgavi, Karnataka, working as a coconut transporter. The police tried to get his exact location but didn’t succeed, said the police officer.

“Recently, we got a tip-off that Sayyad’s mother, who stayed in Sewri, was admitted to Sion Hospital. We kept a watch on suspected numbers the family members had got in touch with and believed one of them was that of Sayyad. While tracking the number, we noticed that the mobile was moving towards Mumbai. When he reached near Dagdi Masjid in Sewri, a police team picked him up,” said the police officer.

The sessions court had declared Sayyad an absconder and issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The other two accused in the case were later acquitted, said the police officer, but the trial against Sayyad was pending. “He had almost forgotten the case. However, after policemen visited his old house in Sewri, he took all care to stay away from the city and rarely came to Mumbai,” added the police officer.