The men arrested for the murder of NIA officer Mohammed Tanzil Ahmed, who was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Shahaspur earlier this month..
Highlights
- NIA officer shot dead over a personal grudge, says Bareilly police
- Main accused on the run, cops offer Rs. 50,000 for information on him
- NIA officer was shot at least 16 times by two men on a bike on April 3
New Delhi:
National Investigation Agency, or NIA, officer Tanzil Ahmed is likely to have been killed over a personal grouse -- one of the killers was unhappy as he did not get help from the officer regarding a case, the Bareilly police said today. The police have arrested two men in the case -- both aged between 20 and 25 years -- but the main accused is still on the run.
Mr Ahmed was shot dead on April 3 by two men on a bike as he was on way home in Uttar Pradesh's Shahaspur after attending a wedding. His wife, who was with him, was injured and is still fighting for life.
The police said one of the arrested men, Reyaan, was driving the bike. His accomplice, Muneer, who fired the shots, is yet to be arrested. The police have announced an award of Rs 50,000 for information on him.
"During interrogation, it was revealed that Reyaan had sought help from Tanzeel ji in a case. But he was frustrated as the officer denied help," said Vijay Meena, Inspector General, Bareilly.
From Left: Zainul, Muneer and Reyaan.
But hinting at another possible motive, Reyaan, who was presented before the media, however, said, "Munir knows the real motive but his (Tanzil Ahmad's) behaviour towards us wasn't nice."
"I had no enmity towards Tanzil Ahmed, abetted Munir out of friendship," said Zainul, the other arrested man.
Mr Meena said some of the statements given by Reyaan and his father have been verified by circumstantial evidence and some "yet to be verified".
Mr Ahmed, 45, was investigating a host of terror cases including some against suspected ISIS sympathisers, and a joint team of security agencies has been investigating whether his murder was linked to his work.
But the Bareilly police said all angles in the case, including "professional and personal rivalry," were looked into during the investigation.
Tanzil Ahmed was investigating a host of terror cases including some against suspected ISIS sympathisers.