The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Kanpur violence case on Wednesday arrested one of the alleged funders Mukhtar Baba and questioned several people, including an MLA of the Samajwadi Party, senior police officers said.
Joint commissioner of police Anand Prakash Tiwari confirmed the arrest of Baba, a highly controversial figure and builder. He said the SIT was questioning him to unravel the entire conspiracy behind the violence.
“SIT has made the first arrest among those who provided the funds. The investigation is ongoing and action will be taken based on findings,” he stated.
Apart from Baba, another real estate developer Haji Wasi was also being tracked for funding Zafar Hayat Hashmi, the alleged mastermind of the Kanpur violence. Wasi, who has more than 80 illegal buildings in Chamangunj and Jajmau areas, was said to be at large, and police were conducting raids to track him down.
Many of his associates, including Haji Ajjan and his partner, SP MLA, were questioned on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. MLA’s younger brother would also be summoned for questioning, according to sources aware of the development.
‘At present, seven top builders have been questioned, and each of them was linked to this circle of funders. There were definite pieces of evidence to suggest they were funding Hashimi,” officials said, adding Mukhtar Baba was being interrogated to find out how much he paid to Hashimi and how?
{{/usCountry}}‘At present, seven top builders have been questioned, and each of them was linked to this circle of funders. There were definite pieces of evidence to suggest they were funding Hashimi,” officials said, adding Mukhtar Baba was being interrogated to find out how much he paid to Hashimi and how?
{{/usCountry}}According to police, the entire conspiracy was hatched at Baba’s famous restaurant at Dr Berry crossing in Becongunj. The conspirators used to meet at the restaurant, and the money was also provided to them. Baba even had arranged Biryani for the stone-pelters following the violence, said the officials.
The restaurant itself has been under a cloud for some time now, and the process was underway to declare it enemy property. The restaurant was built in 1986 on land that belonged to a temple. In 1982, the land was sold to Baba by a Pakistani national Abid Rehman for ₹2.68 lakh, according to an inquiry report of the district administration which is with HT. Baba was served notice twice last month, but he did not appear before the competent authorities in this regard.
As of now, the police and SIT have arrested 58 people in connection with the violence. The arrested include a 16-year-old boy who had surrendered before the Colonelgunj police after posters of stone-pelters were put up, and his picture was on them. Baba is the 59th person to have been detained in this case.
In addition, police have registered a total of 7 FIRs — three related to the violence and four against those who tried to vitiate the atmosphere with objectionable posts on social media. One was AIMIM leader Kshitij Trivedi, who allegedly carried out a misinformation campaign on Whatsapp.
SIT is investigating the three FIRs related to the violence.