Family members of Imtiaz Khan, who was killed by criminal Maradu Aneesh and his gang, have expressed concern over the police investigation into the case and alleged that the probe is not on the right track. Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, Imtiaz’s brother Firoz Khan said that the police are trying to save the culprits as several top-level police officers are close friends of Maradu Aneesh.
“The other day, when I went to the office of the top police officer investigating the case, I saw Maradu Aneesh in casual dress, having biriyani and black tea and sharing jokes with the officer,” Firoz Khan said. He alleged that the police have been spinning new stories to make sure that Aneesh goes scot-free in the case.
“As per the Aneesh’s submission, Imtiaz, while being tortured in the car, told everything about Bhai Nazeer and his residence at Vattaikunnu, around 3 km from his house at Chittoor. But even after the murder of Imtiaz, no one has attempted to attack Nazeer. Aneesh had told the police that after the murder, they left Imtiaz in his car, on the road near his house, around 2 am. But one of his relatives who passed by the area around 3 am did not see any car being parked there. Aneesh was not even arrested and the police allowed him to surrender at the Madurai court intentionally. So we have no confidence in the police investigation,” he said.
The motive behind the murder is different from what the police is claiming in the media. “We suspect that Maradu Aneesh was given the ‘quotation’ to kill Imtiaz over some real estate deal. Imtiaz was about to strike some real estate deal which would have fetched him crores of money. Some people who wanted him out of the deal had given quotation to kill him,” Firoz said.
Imtiaz’s mother Ramla said that the police have not arrested all the accused in the case.
“The police have found nothing more than the what was submitted by Maradu Aneesh. We suspect the involvement of a goonda from Palluruthy, who is a murder accused, and another person named Noushad in the case. On the day Imtiaz was murdered, the goonda from Palluruthy had forcefully taken him to a marriage in Cherthala. The police have still not traced this person. Noushad now conducts quotation work on Aneesh’s behalf in Kochi. He has also not been arrested till now. Though Imtiaz had connection with Bhai Nazeer, he was never part of any gang,” Ramla said.