Fruit vendor’s murder: Man, three three sons held month ago

Rajkot: A 51-year-old man, his three sons — one of whom is a minor — were arrested in connection with murder of a fruit vendor and his son on November 1 in Rajkot city. The accused were identified as Mohammad Javed Musa Memon, his sons — Mohammad Nafees alias Nazir Memon (24), Kaeen alias Sultan (21) and a minor son, who is aged 17 years, were arrested from Sarvad village in Pali, Rajasthan.

Fruit vendor Gagji Chohal (60) and his son Haka (35) were hacked to death in broad daylight over business rivalry by six persons near Gangotri Park Society on Sadhu Vaswani Road on November 1. Both were residents of Kailashpark on Sadhu Vasvani Road. The incident had lead to communal tension and scores of people from Bharwad community, to which the deceased belong, thronged the private hospital where they were declared dead on arrival.

According to the police, Sultan had an altercation with Gagji's younger son Kanu Chohal over setting up a fruit stall near their handcart a day before the incident. They had a scuffle and also hurled abuses at each other. On November 1, Sultan Nafees and others came armed with knives and swords and began an argument with Kanu. When Gagji and his son Haka intervened, they were stabbed multiple times, resulting in their deaths.

After the accused escaped to Rajasthan, the Rajkot crime branch visited the neighbouring state and gave the local police details of the accused. Based on this, the local police located the accused and informed the crime branch. Police said Javed is a history-sheeter with cases of attempt to murder, rioting, assault pending against him. Police further said that the father-son duo of Javed and Nafees had jumped parole last year and were absconding since then.