Police arrest contract killer who fired at RTI activist’s house
A person was arrested for allegedly being hired by a builder to kill an RTI activist in Virar. The builder, Mastan Shaikh, is still at large.
MUMBAI: The Virar police on Tuesday night arrested a person who was allegedly hired by a builder to kill Virar-based right to information (RTI) activist Mobin Shaikh. The accused was identified as Mohit Thakur, a native of Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, who was engaged as a contract killer; he was produced before a court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody. Mastan Shaikh, a builder and the main accused in the case, is still at large, said police.
Mobin Shaikh, 42, had filed several RTI applications against illegal constructions in the Vasai-Virar region, which led to Mastan Shaikh being blacklisted by the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC). The latter also suspected the activist of having an affair with his wife, said police.
“Mastan hired Thakur, promised to pay him ₹1.5 lakh for killing Shaikh, and paid him ₹30,000 as advance,” said a police officer, adding that Thakur had used a country made revolver to shoot at Shaikh’s residence on January 15, at around 3.30am.
Officials said that this was the second time Shaikh had escaped an attempt on his life. Six months ago, Mastan had engaged other contract killers, who threw a bottle of acid in the direction of the activist while he was riding a bike.
“Shaikh ducked on that occasion, so the bottle missed him and landed behind him – thankfully, it did not explode, and he was saved. This time too, he was saved because he ducked when the bullet was fired and it hit the wall behind him,” said a police officer.
Police had arrested Mastan Shaikh and the contract killers who charged ₹4 lakh after the earlier incident. But Shaikh was released on bail recently, following which he hired Thakur to kill Shaikh, said an officer.
Efforts to trace and nab Mastan Shaikh are on, said police.