Vadodara: Hours after he filed a complaint for assault and intimidation by two men, historysheeter Naeem Takhtiwala was murdered in Bawamanpura, on Monday night. Naeem, the close aide of another notorious criminal, Salim Golawala, was attacked by three persons who used a baseball bat and a bladed weapon, when he was returning home with a friend at about 2am. Panigate police registered a complaint of murder against three persons.
According to police, Naeem went to a shoe shop in Raopura on Monday night to buy a pair of shoes. Two persons, identified as Waseem Dastabeer and Kamaal Saiyad, entered the shop and got into a heated argument with Naeem over an old rivalry. The duo then assaulted Naeem, who was saved by the shop owner and others present.
Naeem went to Raopura police station and filed an FIR for the assault, after which police booked Dastabeer and Saiyad. After a while, Naeem and his friend left the police station and headed home. Police said Dastabeer and Saiyad intercepted Naeem. Dastabeer hit Naeem with a baseball bat causing him to fall down.
Dastabeer then struck Naeem with a bladed weapon and the other accused, identified as Naeem Sheikh, Bunty Salim, Gulam Sheikh, Salim and Anish Kaliyo also began to attack the victim. All of them soon fled. “We have begun search for the accused. None of the them have been found yet,” said R S Bhagora, DCP Zone III.
Naeem, who has several offences registered against him, is accused in two cases of attempted murder. Last December, Naeem had opened fire on Salim Sheikh, a scrap dealer. He had demanded Rs 20,000 from Sheikh, who refused to pay up. Naeem then opened fire on the latter in Wadi. Police had nabbed him with the weapon used in 24 hours.
Naeem was also accused of firing two rounds at Mohammed Wasim Sheikh, a resident of Nalbandwada in 2016. Naeem and Golawala had attacked Sheikh over an old rivalry. They were later nabbed.