‘Son-in-law paid hitman: Rs1 million to murder Jodia Bazaar trader’

Paramilitary Rangers have claimed solving the murder case of a known trader of Jodia Bazaar, saying that the murder was committed at the instigation of the victim’s son-in-law for money.

A spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said on Tuesday that on April 9 Saleem Ahmed, the owner of Saleem Corporation, was murdered outside his shop Jodia Bazaar, Kharadar. Afterwards, an investigation team comprising Rangers personnel visited the crime scene and used their technical evidence mechanism.

During the course of the investigation, they learnt that the murder was committed by Iqbal alias German and others at the instigation of Ahmed’s son-in-law, Khurram Mumtaz. Paramilitary soldiers conducted a raid in Phase VII, DHA, arrested Mumtaz and shifted him to their headquarters.

During the following interrogation, the man disclosed that he had planned the murder of his father-in-law after he had developed differences over the distribution of money and property. For the murder, he said, he had hired Iqbal alias German, a resident of Preedy Street, Saddar, and paid him Rs1 million.

Iqbal alias German had assigned the task to his son, Naveed Iqbal alias Noni, who is a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and is associated with the Lyari gang war.

On April 9, Naveed Iqbal murdered Saleem Ahmed outside his shop in Jodia Bazaar. The Rangers’ personnel also arrested Iqbal alias German and his son, and recovered the murder weapon, a 9mm pistol, the clothes wearing by the suspects were wearing during the commission of offence, Rs50,000 and a motorcycle used in the offence.

Naveed was said to be questioned about the gang war criminals and the handling of weapons. The spokesman said the paramilitary force conducted intelligence-based raids in Lyari, Kharadar and Baghdadi areas and arrested three notorious criminals, identified as Arsalan, Muhammad Hamza Ali and Ahsan.

The suspects were alleged to be involved in a number of motorcycle thefts from parking areas of the city. Upon the initial interrogation, the suspects revealed that they had stolen more than 50 motorcycles in Kharadar and Lyari. They were later handed over to police for further legal proceedings.