Developer’s murder in Juhu: 29-year-old attacker arrested

MUMBAI: The Mumbai crime branch on Wednesday arrested 29-year-old Nadim Naushad Shaikh, the assailant who killed 55-year-old real estate developer and chairman of Al Sofi Group, Abdul Munaf Shaikh in Juhu, from a slum pocket in Govandi.

The victim, Shaikh was walking towards a mosque at around 6am on Monday morning to offer prayers when Nadim attacked the builder from behind, slit his throat and stabbed him multiple times with a chopper.

Akbar Pathan, deputy commissioner of police (detection) said, “We found Nadim’s whereabouts through our informants and a team was formed. We arrested him from Govandi.” Nadim during interrogation has confessed of being offered ₹5 lakh to kill Shaikh.

Crime branch officers said that Nadim was hiding in a ground plus two structure in the Shivaji Nagar slum in Govandi. “Nadim was playing carrom when a constable of ours walked into the second floor of the house. The moment he saw the constable, he jumped off from the window and ran on the rooftop of the houses in the slum,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

Mahesh Desai, a senior police inspector who was leading the investigation, had formed a team of police inspector Sanjeev Gavade and assistant police inspector Vijay Ambawde who were standing outside the house with their staff. The moment they saw the accused run, the team arrested him.

Nadim during preliminary questioning has revealed that he was arrested in a murder case at Vikhroli in 2014, and had been released on bail in 2018.

Four months ago, he got in touch with Abdul Rehman Abdul Latif Shaikh alias Sonu, who was arrested by Juhu police yesterday in the murder case. “Three months ago, Sonu called him and offered him ₹5 lakh to kill Shaikh,” said a police inspector, requesting anonymity.