After 31 years in hiding, a 65-year-old man wanted for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai riots was arrested on Monday, July 1. The arrest was made by the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg police in the Sewri neighbourhood of Mumbai, an officer reported to the news agency PTI.
The accused has been identified as Sayyad Nadir Shah Abbas Khan. Khan was earlier accused of attempted murder and illegal assembly during the riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992.
Khan was once detained and released on bail. But he managed to escape for decades without appearing in court. His continued absence led the court to issue a non-bailable warrant for his arrest.
Despite multiple searches by the police at his residence in Sewri, he remained on the run. Investigators were tipped off about his location from the phone records of his relatives. On June 29, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg police station was informed that Khan would visit his Sewri home. The police also laid a trap to catch him, which led to his capture.
The riots occurred in December 1992 and January 1993. It resulted in significant losses of life and property in Mumbai. According to historian Barbara Metcalf, approximately 900 people died as a result of the riots. Muslims suffered the highest number of casualties, followed by Hindus.
Recently, a Mumbai taxi driver named Rajesh Jaiswal was acquitted in the riots case. However, 15 other accused in the case have yet to be found. The investigation is ongoing.
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