Man killed while saving activist from angry mob

Mumbai: A 44-year-old man was killed in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) area for  trying to save an activist from an angry mob. The BKC police booked the husband of an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator and his aides for assaulting and murdering the man on Friday.

The deceased was identified as Aamir Datar Shaikh alias Babubhai, officials said.

The group attacked the activist who would post videos on social networking website  regarding alleged illegalities in Bharat Nagar slums. However, when the victim intervened to save the activist from attackers, he was beaten to death.

The incident took place at around 10.45 pm after Salim Qureshi (corporator Gulnaz Qureshi’s husband) and at least 15 of his aides arrived to attack the activist Mohammad Rafiq Abdul Sattar Sayyad.

The police said that Mr Sayyad had been making videos and posting on social media alleging corruption and illegal allotments of slums in Basera Society slums in Bharat Nagar.

Mr Sayyad had been posting these videos every Friday since the past 2 years which focused on alleged illegalities at Basera Society slums stating the fudged index list and other allegations, police said.

“Some of his recent videos named AIMIM corporator Gulnaz Qureshi in it and he claimed that she was hand in gloves with the builder and part of the ongoing corruption. Salim Qureshi came there to confront Mr Sayyad with regards to naming his wife following which the violence ensued,” said Kalpana Gadekar, senior inspector of the Bandra-Kurla Complex police station.

The officials said that when Aamir tried to intervene and come to Mr Sayyad’s rescue, he was beaten up with bamboos and iron rods. He sustained grievous injuries to his lower body and head and after which he succumbed to injuries.

Another man Tariq Shaukat Ali Khan also sustained serious injuries in the incident, police said.

The police have registered a case against Qureshi and others under sections 302 (murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting with weapons) as per the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The police have arrested six persons and are on the lookout of others who were part of the attack.