Cops apply MCOCA in Santacruz murder

MUMBAI: The Santacruz police have applied stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the six people accused in the Santacruz

MUMBAI: The Santacruz police have applied stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the six people accused in the Santacruz double murder case, in which two workers were killed with choppers and a firearm at a construction site on July 26.

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According to police, Nadeem Mumtaz Khatri, 36, was working at a construction site near Daulat Nagar in Santacruz (West) when Mohsin Behlem, along with the other accused, killed Nadeem and his friend Gulam Shaikh on July 26.

Police said Nadeem was a resident of Daulat Nagar, where Mohsin had also been living earlier. The two worked together but after a dispute over finances, Mohsin left the job.

A police officer said the two had registered several cases against each other.

Investigations revealed that the double murder was the result of a past rivalry between Nadeem and the two brothers, Mohsin and Zulfikar. Mohsin killed Nadeem, acting on his younger brother Zulfikar’s instructions. Zulfikar is currently lodged in Arthur Road Jail in connection with an extortion case, said a police officer.

Soon after the incident, the Santacruz police arrested six people, including Mohsin, who had earlier been convicted in a 2009 murder case and had been lodged in Kolhapur jail. Police said Mohsin had been released on parole few days before the incident and had planned to take revenge against Nadeem. He assembled a group to help him carry out this task, promising to pay them.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyanarayan Chaudhari (zone IX) confirmed that the provisions have been added to the case in view of the extensive criminal background of the gang.

“It was a pre-planned and organised crime, so we wrote to senior officers, seeking permission to apply the MCOCA against the accused. After seeking a legal opinion in the case, the applicable sections have been applied,” said police officer.