2 more arrested for NIA officer's killing, key accused elusive

Bijnor (UP), Apr 13: Two more persons have been arrested for the fatal April 3 attack on NIA officer Tanzil Ahmad and his wife, who succumbed to injuries today, taking the number of arrests to four, even as efforts are on to nab the alleged mastermind.

Rizvan and Tanzeem were arrested this morning and produced in court, Assistant Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh said here.

Two of the accused Rehan and Zainul, who were arrested yesterday, had claimed that Rizvan and Tanzeem too were involved in the conspiracy following which the arrests were made, he said.

Investigation is on and several teams have been deputed to nab the alleged mastermind Muneer. Uttar Pradesh Police had yesterday claimed to have solved the case by arresting Rehan, who is nephew of Ahmed's brother-in-law, and Zainul and had contended that domestic dispute was the motive behind the crime.

Meanwhile, Ahmad's wife Farzana Khatoon, who was also grievously injured in the attack, succumbed this morning.

She was battling for her life at AIIMS trauma centre after suffering bullet wounds, NIA said in a statement, adding that she succumbed to her injuries at 10.45 AM.

In the "planned attack", the motorcycle-borne killers had pumped 24 bullets into 45-year-old Ahmad and four into his wife Farzana, as their daughter, 14, and son, 12, watched the gruesome incident from the back seat of the Wagon-R car they were travelling in.

According to the police, the motorcycle-borne accused followed Ahmad who was returning home in Sahaspur village of Bijnor district with his family after attending his niece's wedding in another village in the same district on the intervening night of April 2 and 3.

The attackers overtook his vehicle at Sahaspur village and Muneer allegedly fired at Ahmed and his wife. Ahmad, who has been with the NIA ever since the organisation was formed in February 2009, had been investigating many cases especially related to banned Indian Mujahideen terror outfit.

PTI