Three men out to murder businesswoman in Ghaziabad arrested

Sheetal Tabassum, who first exported mobile phone chips before opening a nightclub, was unaware of the plot to murder her

During a random checking operation in Shalimar Garden early Monday morning, Ghaziabad police arrested three men who were allegedly on their way to rob and murder a 45-year-old businesswoman in Shalimar Garden Extension 1, said officers familiar with the matter, adding that a pistol was discovered in their possession.

The three suspects were identified as Mohammad Nadeem, 45, and his two accomplices, Mujeeb, 20, and Imran, 33. According to the police, Mujeeb and Imran were employees of Nadeem, who owns a furniture business in Delhi, and he promised to pay them ₹2.5 lakh for the murder. (Representational Image)

The three suspects were identified as Mohammad Nadeem, 45, and his two accomplices, Mujeeb, 20, and Imran, 33. According to the police, Mujeeb and Imran were employees of Nadeem, who owns a furniture business in Delhi, and he promised to pay them ₹2.5 lakh for the murder.

“The three men were stopped after being spotted during a random check. When frisked, a pistol and cartridges were discovered on them. When pressed, they admitted that they were going to rob and murder a woman and had been scouting her home for the past few weeks. Nadeem said that the woman had borrowed ₹30 lakh from him in 2018 and was unwilling to repay. As a result, he devised the plot to murder and rob her,” said Gyan Prakash Rai, assistant commissioner of police (Shalimar Garden).

According to the police, before Nadeem moved his furniture business to Delhi, he operated from Shalimar Garden and met the businesswoman Sheetal Tabassum. According to the police, Tabassum first exported mobile phone chips before opening a nightclub.

According to the police, Tabassum was unaware of the plot to murder her and never reported any suspicious activity by the three suspects.

“We recovered several mobile call recordings and the location of the woman’s house from the suspects’ phones. We also have one video recording of the outside of her house, taken by Nadeem’s two accomplices on the intervening night of July 15 and 16, that was sent to him along with the location. According to the two suspects, Nadeem insisted on sending the video and the location to ensure they were at the correct location. The woman did not leave her house then,” ACP Rai added.

After the plans failed a few times, Nadeem decided to accompany his two accomplices, but the police apprehended them. During questioning, the two accomplices said that Nadeem had promised them money in exchange for the killing and gave them a pistol and cartridges.

The three suspects were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 115 (abetment of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life if offence not committed), 120 (criminal conspiracy) and 398/34 (attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with a deadly weapon, with common intention).