Arrested Cong leader admits hiring killers to murder rival broker

JAMSHEDPUR: Congress leader and controversial land broker Dabar Khan alias Shahbaz Khan confessed to have given ₹3 lakh contract to kill rival land broker Md Sabaul Haq alias Danish, after the former was arrested by the police on Monday and forwarded to jail late Tuesday evening, police said.

“Dabar was arrested on Monday late evening and was forwarded to jail on Tuesday. He was a named accused in the FIR lodged by the relative of deceased Danish who was shot dead on December 29. We had earlier arrested the two shooters Sarfaraz and Salim who had admitted their crime,” Dr M Tamil Vanan, Jamshedpur senior superintendent of police (SSP), said.

Police said Dabar has confessed that he had given contract to 25-year-old Sarfaraz and 23-year-old Salim to kill Danish. According to Dabar’s statement, had he not committed the crime, Danish would have got him killed. “I was having a dispute with Danish over an eight kottah plot in Azadnagar and another plot in Bistupur. He had given a contract to kill me and hence I too gave a contract to kill him. Sarfaraz and Salim were the shooters and I was also present at the site at the time of killing,” police said, quoting Dabar.

As per available information, Danish had allegedly given a contract to some shooters to kill Dabar. One of the shooters leaked this to Dabar as he had financially helped him in treatment of his mother who was a cancer patient. Dabar then allegedly hired the same shooters to kill Danish which was executed at 1.30 pm on December 29.

Interestingly, Sarfaraz was earlier arrested by Sitaramdera police on July 14, 2019 for firing upon city-based cancer specialist Dr SK Kundu with an air pistol along with his accomplice Shahid.

Sarfaraz had demanded extortion money and accused Dr Kundu of wrong treatment of his mother. Both were sent to jail but came out on bail later.

Police sources said Dabar had given two pistols and money to Sarfarz, Salim, Faiyaz Takkar, Kala Maqsood and another of their associates on December 25.

He has also revealed that he had bought the pistols in 2018 from Imtiyaz Khan, who was murdered later. Dabar allegedly had a good connection with the police in lieu of his political links with Congress leaders and a minister. He was a member of the Azadnagar police station peace committee for the past 10 years owing to these links.