Matunga drugs case: Planter ‘nabbed’, what about cops?

Faqrudin Sayyed and Gopal Mooponr were arrested after the drugs and gun were found at the former’s house

The police have made headway into the case where a Matunga resident was allegedly framed by his fiancee's stalker, and arrested the person who planted the drugs and a loaded gun in his house. mid-day had published a series of reports on the case, after which the cops made the arrest, and the accused has spilt the beans on the stalker, the main accused, who is allegedly on the run.

Dharavi drug peddler Nicolas Pandian alias Nikki is the main accused got the 485 gm mephedrone (MD) and a gun with bullets planted at the house of a Matunga-based sales executive, Faqrudin Sayyed, to stop his wedding, according to the police. Sayyed's fiancee was being pursued by Pandian who wants to marry her himself. Sayyed was arrested along with his childhood friend Gopal Mooponr who was with him when the police raided his premises.

Main accused Nicolas Pandian who is allegedly on the run

The Shahu Nagar police on Tuesday night arrested Naeem Hasan Qureshi, 29, who planted the drugs and gun at Sayyed's residence, allegedly on the instructions of Pandian. On Wednesday, the police informed Bandra Magistrate Court that Sayyed and Gopal are innocent and sought their release.

The modus operandi

Main accused Pandian has been absconding since his name cropped up during investigation. Police said Pandian ordered the drugs and gun with bullets from dark web. He installed an application in his parents' mobile phone and ordered them.

Qureshi also runs a mutton shop near Bilali Masjid at Jasmin Mill Road at Matunga East. Sources said he is also a police informer.
According to a police officer, the incident occurred on November 26 around 9.30 pm at Sayyed's house, at Matunga Labour Camp. Pandian had allegedly handed over the drug and country-made gun with bullets in a box to Qureshi, to keep in Sayyed's house.

At around 9.15 pm Sayyed and his friend Gopal reached home and kept the main door open. The police said Sayyed and Mooponr were in another room when Qureshi kept the box inside the house near the main door and fled. Qureshi gave a tip-off to the police who reached the house within 2-5 minutes and raided it. After finding the box with the 485 gm MD and desi katta with bullets, they registered a case and Sayyed and Gopal were arrested. The police allegedly arrested them without checking even CCTV footage of the area.

Plan and revenge

Pandian has many times in the past proposed to Sayyed's fiancee, but she always rejected him. On November 23 Sayyed and his fiancee's family decided on their marriage ceremony in February. The police said on learning about this Pandian planned the revenge.

Qureshi and Pandian are very good friends. For the past 3-4 months Qureshi had regularly been calling Sayyed's fiancee's family and forcing her to break the relationship with him. The police said Pandian had also paid money to Qureshi to threaten Sayyed's fiancee.

On November 26 at 10.30 am the police said Pandian called Qureshi and promised to give him R1 lakh if he kept the drugs and gun with bullets in Sayyed's house. Qureshi agreed. After the incident Qureshi shut his mutton shop and fled to UP and Pandian is also absconding. The Shahu Nagar police took Qureshi into custody and said he revealed the plan.

mid-day reports helped probe

Senior Inspector Deepak Palav of the Shahu Nagar police station said mid-day's reports led investigators to Qureshi. He said, "We arrested the youths after we found drugs, a gun and bullets from the residence in the raid. Now they have been proven innocent. They will be released as per procedure by our team. We found a link after mid-day reported the version of Sayyed's fiancee and started investigation in that direction. We were led to Qureshi. The main accused is absconding."

Senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, Nitin Satpute, who is the counsel for Sayyed and Gopal Mooponr, said, "The police have realised they made a mistake in arresting my clients. Today they submitted a report in court and said that my clients are innocent and not involved. in the case. They have the authority to release my clients according to 169 CRPC but they were sent to jail custody. It is complete misuse of power by the police. My clients are innocent and not criminals. There is evidence that they are innocent. We are happy this case has been solved and my clients will be released soon. Their friends supported them and they have won."