Thursday, December 15 2005 18:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: The sleuths of the city crime branch have arrested a hardcore criminal and a close-aide of Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel from Juhapura locality of the city, police said here today (Dec 15, 2005).

The accused, Mohammed Haroon alias Munno wanted in several cases of contract killing and arms smuggling, was nabbed by the crime branch officials from near Jaffar restaurant in Juhapura late last night.

A country-made revolver, four live cartridges, Rs 2,500 cash and a mobile phone was also recovered from Haroon who is a native of Mumbai city and is believed to a close associate of Karachi-based don Chotta Shakeel, sources added.

The accused was nabbed on the tip-off that he was living somewhere in the minority-dominated Juhapura area and had come to Gujarat with some criminal motive, police said.

The accused has been booked under the Arms Act, sources added.

Further interrogation of the accused also revealed that Haroon was in contact with Chhota Shakeel and used to carry out criminal activities in Gujarat by taking instructions through phone and by meeting him personally.

Haroon is also one of the accused in the murder of BJP leaders Prem Kumar Sharma and Ramdas Naik who were shot dead in Mumbai.

During his interrogation, the accused also admitted that on Shakeel's instructions, he had allegedly shot dead two aides of the gangster's Dubai-based rival Rafiq Fopa in Delhi between 1992 and 1994.

He also revealed that the city-based Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had booked a case of arms smuggling against him in 1995.

Haroon is also believed to have toured Dubai, Bangladesh, Bhutan and other countries on fake passports, sources added.