By IANS
Ahmedabad : Mohammed Zuber Sheikh alias Tubrej, a member of the Chhota Shakeel gang, was arrested from the Naroda-Patiya area here late Thursday night.
A bogus passport, an election photo identity and permanent income-tax account number (PAN) cards and a mobile phone were seized from him.
Zuber, 28, is a sharpshooter of Chhota Shakeel gang and was said to be living in Gujarat’s Muslim dominated Modassa town in Sabarkantha district.
He was in constant touch with Shakeel since January this year. He was about leave for Dubai using the bogus passport when he was caught, a police official told IANS.
The Ahmedabad police Crime Branch Friday questioned Zuber who said that after passing Class 12, he was involved in a gang war with Arun Gawli and a complaint was registered against him in Kidwai nagar police station.
Another complaint in the same police station was registered for looting Laxmi Jewellers. A case of extortion was also registered against him.
Zuber, who is wanted by Mumbai and Delhi police forces, was involved in the sensational attempt to kill former Mumbai mayor Milind Vaidya in 1999 in front of his Mori Road residence in Mahim.
Zuber and his accomplices used AK-47 and 9 mm pistols. They fired indiscriminately and killed Vaidya’s bodyguard and six bystanders. Eight others, including Vaidya, were seriously injured.
Zuber became part of Chhota Shakeel gang in 1995. Soon after in August 1995, Zuber shot dead Rajan Gupta, a wholesale dealer in Mahim cloth market.
Shakeel used to call up businessmen in Mumbai for extorting money. Two businessmen, who refused, were shot dead by Zuber.
When Shakeel tried to extort money from the Shiv Sena’s former mayor Vaidya, he refused to pay. Shakeel then ordered Zuber to kill Vaidya and an attempt was made in front of his house.
A case was registered against Zuber and his two accomplices under the MCOCA, IPC and Arms Act for the daring shoot-out.
The Special Court set up under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) sentenced him to death in 2000. The Mumbai High Court ordered his release for lack of evidence. However, the Supreme Court ordered his re-arrest on an appeal by the state of Maharashtra.
Before Zuber could be re-arrested, he escaped to Nepal and was there for some time.
Later, he came to Delhi after taking a `supari’ (contract) to kill someone and was apprehended.
Again he got bail and went underground before coming to Modassa in 2004. He changed his name to Shabir Multani and then set up a transport business.
The Mumbai Poluice crime branch was alerted soon after his arrest here.
The Detective Crime Branch registered cases against him under IPC sections 120 B, 465, 467, 471, 114 and under Indian Passport Act section 12.