ROURKELA: Five persons, including a juvenile, were arrested by Rourkela police on Sunday in connection with the murder of Zahid Akhtar Ansari alias Golden over a ‘sacrilegious’ post on Facebook (FB).
Four of them were produced in criminal court which remanded them in jail custody. The juvenile has been lodged in observation home.
All the accused, who belong to the minority community, nursed a grudge against Golden for the FB post, police said.
Zone-III DSP RK Panigrahi and Plant Site IIC SK Biswal said following Golden’s return from Delhi, a few skirmishes had taken place between him and the accused over the FB post. The accused were closely observing Golden’s movements and executed the pre-planned murder at about 9.45 pm on Tuesday on Mahtab Road near the administrative building of RSP, the senior police officers added.
Police refrained from identifying the 28-year-old shooter pending his TI parade. The other accused are Md.Sagir Qureishi (23), Md.Imran Qureishi (22) and Md.Taj Qureishi (23) and a 17-year-old. All are butchers and belong to Qureishi Mohalla of Nala Road ghettos. Three to four more co-accused are wanted, the DSP said, adding that no outsiders seem to be involved in the incident.
A car with Bihar’s registration number, a country-made semi-automatic pistol, a bullet, a two-wheeler and three mobile phones used in the crime were seized. Police are yet to establish the ownership of the car.
On Tuesday night, Golden was shot dead leading to widespread resentment in the area.