Father, Son Arrested in Advocate Murder

Hyderabad:The Hyderabad police on Thursday arrested Mujahid Alam Khan and his father, Mahbub Alam Khan, who are prime suspects for the murder of senior advocate Khaja Moizuddin, in Haryana, while they were allegedly attempting to flee to Delhi, top police sources said.

Khaja Moizuddin, a senior advocate who was fighting cases against the alleged encroachment of waqf land, was killed near his residence at Shantinagar near Masab Tank after being run over by an SUV in what was initially suspected to be a hit-and-run case. However, investigators later booked a murder case after examining CCTV footage and other evidence.

When contacted, police officials neither confirmed nor denied the arrests but said a press meet would be held within this week to share details of the investigation. Planned briefing suggests significant developments, including the apprehension of the accused in the case.

According to investigators, the accused hired a racer to execute the crime in a manner that would resemble a road accident and avoid suspicion. Police suspect the plan was carefully designed to make the murder appear as a routine hit-and-run incident.

After carrying out the attack, the driver fled to Vijayawada with `2 lakh paid to him for the operation. Sources said the driver later returned to Hyderabad, following which police received a tip-off and apprehended him.

The investigators suspect the murder may have been linked to disputes surrounding waqf land matters being pursued by Moizuddin. Earlier reports also suggested that the police were probing the possibility of a contract killing, with multiple suspects detained in connection with the case.

Special teams from the central zone and Task Force are continuing efforts to trace others involved in the conspiracy. Both zones were also meeting at the Task Force office to discuss the apprehension and the following processes, too.