Two brothers, both sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1996 murder case in Delhi and on the run for nearly ten years, have been arrested by the Delhi Police, officials confirmed on Tuesday. One of the siblings is also wanted in connection with a contract killing in Mumbai, where he allegedly murdered a man for Rs 2 lakh, dismembered the body, and dumped the torso to hide the victim's identity.
Arrests in Coordinated Raids
The accused, Firasat Ali (56) and Shah Nawaz Ali (51), were apprehended in simultaneous operations conducted in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Godda, Jharkhand, respectively. According to investigators, the brothers were convicted in a 1996 murder case in Delhi. However, after the Delhi High Court upheld their life sentence and dismissed their appeal in 2016, they failed to surrender and remained fugitives.
Mumbai Contract Killing Case
Firasat Ali was also a proclaimed offender in a 2006 contract killing case in Mumbai. Police said an unidentified human torso wrapped in a plastic bag was recovered near Bhindi Bazar in Mumbai in May 2006. The head and limbs were missing. During the investigation, the Mumbai Police identified the deceased as Kisan Kharva and alleged that his wife had hired Firasat Ali and another accused to kill him for Rs 2 lakh. Investigators alleged that Firasat Ali murdered Kharva, severed the head and limbs, and disposed of the body parts at different locations to conceal the victim's identity. He was arrested by the Mumbai Police in 2018 and granted bail by the Bombay High Court in 2021, but later absconded during the trial and was declared a proclaimed offender.
Details of the 1996 Delhi Murder
The brothers were originally convicted in connection with a 1996 murder in Delhi's Rajouri Garden. According to police, the case stemmed from an altercation over the purchase of an old saree at a clothes market in Raghubir Nagar. Later that day, Shah Nawaz, along with Firasat Ali, Arshad Ali, and an associate, allegedly entered the complainant's house armed with knives and attacked the occupants. Ishtiaq Ahmed, alias Pappu, succumbed to multiple stab injuries, while two others were injured.
Conviction and Evasion
The accused were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi sessions court in 2000. They were granted bail during the pendency of their appeal. However, they failed to surrender after the Delhi High Court upheld their conviction in 2016. During interrogation, the brothers admitted to frequently changing hideouts across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Jharkhand while working as clothes merchants to evade arrest, the Crime Branch said.
Current Status
Both have now been lodged in Tihar Jail. The Mumbai Police have been informed about Firasat Ali's arrest.
