Palghar: For 23 years, Harun Ali Mustakin Ali Sayyed, an autorickshaw driver, evaded the law for a murder he allegedly committed in 2001, but it finally caught up with him, as the Maharashtra police have announced his arrest.
Sayyed (43) was wanted for a murder that he allegedly committed on October 14, 2001, when a passenger, Moharam Ali, then 56, stepped into his autorickshaw in Palghar district, neighbouring Mumbai.
A dispute over the fare erupted, and Sayyed, in a fit of rage, allegedly stabbed Moharam Ali repeatedly and escaped. Within an hour, Moharam Ali succumbed to his injuries.
Five months ago, the Crime Branch Unit-III of the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar police decided to revisit the “cold case”, and a dedicated team, using traditional detective methods with modern surveillance techniques, finally nabbed Sayyed.
Senior Inspector Shahuraj Ranawre spearheaded the fresh investigation. “Our unit began actively pursuing the cold case around five months ago,” the official said on Wednesday.
The team meticulously re-examined old records, examined witnesses and tracked down Moharam Ali’s relatives, offering them a glimmer of hope after years of despair.
The search for Sayyed extended far beyond Palghar, and police activated informants across the district and Mumbai, and conducted extensive field checks in his native town in Uttar Pradesh.
After “extensive groundwork and technical surveillance”, Sayyed was located in Talasari in Palghar district and taken into custody on Monday.
He has since been handed over to the Virar police, where he will face the charges. PTI COR SKL NR GK
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