Man hires hitmen to kill son

Victim gunned down at his mother’s grave

DIJKOT:

A man allegedly orchestrated the murder of his son through hired assailants amidst a property dispute. Police have arrested six suspects, including the deceased's father, stepmother and a hired gunman, seizing weapons in the process. SP Iqbal Town, Usman Munir Saifi, conducted a press conference alongside DSP Factory Area Rana Attaur Rehman, SHO Factory Area Police Station Saqib Riaz and In-charge of Investigation Adil Gulfam on Friday.

On November 27th, 26-year-old Arsalan Ahmad Khan was gunned down by two unidentified assailants while he was paying his respects at his mother's grave. Police investigated the call data records (CDRs) of several individuals, including the deceased's heirs, coupled with 25 days of investigation aided by CCTV footage.

These efforts led to the arrest of Haider Ali, a resident of Tata Bazar, on Friday. During interrogations, Haider alleged that Amir from Gujra had hired him to assassinate Arsalan, initially paying him Rs38,000 with an outstanding Rs12,000 yet to be paid. Haider further revealed that the deceased was targeted by his father, Saleem Ahmed Khan, who allegedly paid old Central Jail resident Bashar Ali Rs80,000 for the hit.

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Following the confession of the hired assassin, the deceased's father Saleem Ahmed Khan, stepmother Farzana Khan and stepbrother Zaman Khan were detained and charged in the case. The suspects behind Arsalan Ahmad Khan's murder, along with their accomplices and the hired gunman, have been apprehended.

Police stated that after the demise of his mother, Arsalan had been demanding his share of the property from his father, which was contested due to his father's remarriage, often leading to disputes between them. This latest dispute motivated the assassination.

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In response to a separate query, SP Iqbal Town Usman Munir Safi assured media persons of stringent security measures within Iqbal Town Division on December 25th and New Year's Eve. Volunteers, along with a sizable police presence, will be stationed at the main entrances of churches, enforcing thorough checks before allowing entry.

Furthermore, in light of increased criminal activities during winter, particularly by the Oudh gang, vigilant monitoring has been initiated in areas covered by Sandalbar, Tikriwala, Dijkot, Roshanwala, and Saddar police stations. Villagers serving as volunteers are actively reporting any suspicious activities via a WhatsApp group.

The commendable efforts of SHO Factory Area Saqib Riaz, In-charge Investigation Adil Gulfam, Constable Parvez Sharif, Imtiaz Hussain, Arif, Abid, and Shafqat Ali, who successfully resolved the blind murder case, were recognized with cash rewards and certificates.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2023.