Chhota Shakeel’s close aide held, pistol and cash seized

New Delhi: A 28-year-old suspected aide of gangster Chhota Shakeel, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head, was arrested from Northeast Delhi’s Jafrabad on Wednesday.

The accused, Naseem alias Rizwan, a sharpshooter and close aide of Shakeel, was in touch with the latter who was giving directions to him about eliminating Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah, they added.

The police were on the lookout for Naseem, a robber and a contract killer, who is wanted in several cases. On Tuesday, the police learnt that he would come near a school in Jafrabad. A trap was laid and when he saw police personnel, he started running but was nabbed after a long chase, the police said.

The police recovered Rs 1.98 lakh and a sophisticated pistol with four live cartridges, they added. During interrogation, it was revealed that Naseem was wanted by the Special Cell in connection with hatching a conspiracy to kill Fatah. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000.

Delhi police’s Special Cell had arrested one Junaid Chaudhary in June for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy to kill Fatah. Naseem was also wanted in that case. He was recently also involved in a robbery in which a cash collection agent of a businessman was robbed of Rs 10.6 lakh in October.