Nagpur/Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested two accused from Nagpur in connection with the brutal murder of a 78-year-old man in Mumbai’s Nagpada area. The accused were tracked down just four days after the sensational killing.

The arrested men have been identified as Sadiq Javar and his associate Naushad Mithani (22). Police said both were detained in Nagpur after an extensive technical surveillance operation.

Murder Linked to 1999 Encounter Revenge Angle

According to investigators, the murder may be linked to a decades-old gang rivalry and revenge motive. Police suspect that Sadiq Javar allegedly targeted Iqbal Ibrahim Seliya (78), believing he was the police informant whose tip-off had led to the 1999 police encounter killing of Mumbai gangster Sadiq Kalia at Dadar.

Kalia was reportedly Javar’s uncle.

Victim Attacked with Chopper Over 20 Times

Police said the shocking murder took place on the evening of April 20, when Seliya was alone at his residence in Nagpada. The two accused allegedly entered the house and attacked him with a chopper multiple times.

Officials said the victim suffered more than 20 blows, and the attackers fled only after confirming his death. Seliya’s family later returned home and found him lying in a pool of blood.

Escape Route Led to Nagpur

Investigators said CCTV footage helped trace the movements of the accused before and after the murder. After the crime, they allegedly travelled from Nagpada to Antop Hill, then Vidyavihar, boarded a train to Kalyan, and later hired a vehicle to escape overnight to Nagpur, nearly 700 km away.

Crime Branch Operation

Using technical intelligence and surveillance inputs, Mumbai Crime Branch officers tracked the duo and arrested them in Nagpur on Friday.

The accused are now being brought to Mumbai for further legal action. Police are continuing the investigation into the case.