Six gangsters hired to kill Raj Kumar Santoshi arrested

Mumbai, May 19 (UNI) Six armed gangsters, allegedly owing allegiance to the Ejaz Lakdawala gang and on a contract to eliminate film director Raj Kumar Santoshi, were today arrested by the Juhu police near Pushpa gardens in suburban Mumbai.

The six have been identified as Edward Sequeria (30), Antony Sebastian Lobo (32), Sohail Raza Irani (28), Amjad Ali Akbar Ali Shaikh (22), Suraj Ram Nayin Yadav (20), and Raju Basal Mahje (20).

They were arrested while conspiring to loot a wine shop in the vicinity, police said. A pistol, three country-made pistols, four bullets and three rounds were recovered from them, police said.

Police claimed that during interrogation, the six confessed that they had been asked by Ejaz Lakdawala to eliminate filmmaker and director Raj Kumar Santoshi. They also confessed to have surveyed the film-makers residence in order to carry out the task.

The police have booked them under sections 399, 401 and 402 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and section 325(1)(a)(b) of the Indian Arms Act.

Following their arrest, they were produced before a local court which remanded them in police custody till May 28.

UNI