Police have identified Irfan Khan, 35, who was arrested from Nagpur on Saturday as the “mastermind” behind the killing of a chemist in Amravati last month.
According to police, Irfan is the common link in at least four of the five people arrested earlier. Although Irfan is the convener of a registered NGO that runs a helpline called “Rahebar” – its Facebook page says it works to rehabilitate differently-disabled people – four other people arrested, including the alleged murderer, also volunteered at the NGO.
The names of the four are Sheikh of Muddassir (22). Abdul Tawfiq Taslim, 24; Shah Rukh Khan, 25; And Shoaib Khan, 22. Shoaib is accused of stabbing a chemist. The fifth person arrested earlier was Atib Rashid (22).
Irfan Pathan is a resident of Chaul Kamela area of Chowk. His neighbors said he had been a welder before, but his business was in trouble during the epidemic.
About seven years ago, he became “extremely religious” and began social activities, they said. He was also reported to have supported anti-CAA protests.
Irfan, a school dropout, lived with his mother, younger brother, wife, two sons and a daughter, including a specially capable one. His house has been locked for the past week.
“I knew him well. He used to come to the police station with public issues … He has a minor assault case against him; He was detained for questioning when he helped his friend escape with a girl from another community, ”police sources said.
According to local sources, Irfan’s two friends Muddassir Sheikh and Abdul Tawfiq Taslim were also “very religious”. “Abdul was short-tempered. A few years ago, he went to the Nagpur Gate police station at midnight, demanding to register an FIR against a Facebook post for hurting religious feelings. After killing the chemist, he brags to others that he killed the man who insulted the prophet. The police got their first lead from it, ”a source said.