4 held after shooting two passersby dead in North Delhi

Rival builder Feroz and his partner Danish hired contract killers to give effect to their murderous plan.

Three days after two passersby were killed during an armed attack by at least four unidentified assailants on a local builder and his nephew at Filmistan near Bara Hindu Rao in north Delhi, police said they arrested four men from Delhi and Chandigarh between Saturday and Sunday and said that the attack was a contract killing gone wrong.

Representational: Police said they arrested four men from Delhi and Chandigarh between Saturday and Sunday and said that the attack was a contract killing gone wrong.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the attack on local builder Haji Naeem and his nephew Muneeb was planned by Feroz, a rival builder and his partner Danish, over a disputed property. Among the four who were arrested are Feroz, Rahul alias Charlie (23) and Himanshu (21), and Mehtab, who is Danish’s relative.

“We are now looking for another key conspirator, and one more man who was also involved in the attack,” said deputy commissioner of police (north) Anto Alphonse.

Joint commissioner of police (central range) N S Bundela said during investigation, it was learnt that Naeem and Muneeb were rivals of other builders in Sadar Bazar and Bara Hindu Rao areas. The teams also learnt that Muneeb had managed to get a stay on the construction of a building at Ahata Kidara and was responsible for the demolition of the property. “Inputs collected from locals revealed that Feroz and Danish conspired with Mehtab to settle scores with Muneeb and his uncle. They hired contract killers to kill them,” said a senior investigator.

“Interrogation of Rahul and Himanshu revealed that they were roped in for the contract killing by their friend, who is also absconding. On Thursday evening, the three of them reached near Kishanganj railway station and met the key conspirators. The deal was finalised there itself. The attackers left and reached Filmistan to execute the plan,” added the officer.

On being asked if the attackers were promised any amount for the contract killing, DCP Alphonse said, “We are looking for Feroz’s business partner, who managed everything.”