The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the attempted murder of Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait said that member of Popular Front of India – Abid Pasha is the alleged mastermind in the case.
Investigating officials said that Abid Pasha, who is an accused in nine other murder cases across the state, allegedly trained Farhan Pasha – the man who stabbed Tanveer Sait.
On the night of November 17, Farhan Pasha, who worked as an assistant to a craftsman, allegedly stabbed Tanveer Sait’s neck with a knife outside Bal Bhavan in Mysuru’s Bannimantap area. Tanveer Sait was walking out of Bal Bhavan after attending a wedding ceremony when the incident occurred.
Farhan Pasha tried to flee the spot. However, onlookers caught him and handed him over to the Narasimharaja Police. An SIT was constituted to investigate the matter after Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa accused PFI of planning Tanveer Sait’s murder.
Investigating officials say that Abid Pasha allegedly financed the entire operation and had trained Farhan in the usage of a knife.
“Abid Pasha took Farhan to Kerala in October, where he was taught how to stab someone in the neck. They used stray dogs to practise the stabbing. We found that Abid Pasha got a few stray dogs and Farhan practised by stabbing the animals’ necks,” the police said.
On November 20, the SIT arrested Abid Pasha, and other members of PFI Akram alias Don Akram, Noor Khan, Muheeb and Muzzamil. Police said that Abid Pasha provided training and money, while Akram, Noor, Muheeb and Muzzamil provided logistical support and conducted a reconnaissance of the venue before the night of the attempted murder. They have been remanded to judicial custody and are being interrogated.
“The accused had followed the MLA for weeks before the murder to learn his movements and details on who generally accompanies him. We have also recovered one bike, which was used for the recce,” the investigating officer said.
Abid Pasha’s chequered past
In April 2019, Mysuru’s Kuvempunagar Police arrested Abid Pasha, who had eluded law enforcement officials in Karnataka. Abid Pasha was accused of killing RSS activist Raju in Kyatamaranahalli in Udayagir in 2016. He was, however, out on bail in June.
A resident of Erekatte Street in Lashkar Mohalla, Abid Pasha would allegedly stalk his victims before killing them and left behind very few clues at the crime scene, said officials.
He is accused of abducting and killing two business management students – Sudheendra and Vignesh – in 2011. The victims were abducted and Abid had allegedly demanded a ransom and later killed them in Chikkamagaluru. He is also the prime accused in the murder of his acquaintance Thyagaraj Pillai. “Totally there are nine murder cases registered against him in against him including the murder of RSS worker Raju. He was the mastermind in all these murder cases. He used to plan the murders meticulously. This time, Farhan would have got away if he had not fallen down as there was another man waiting for him on the bike,” the police said.
Police on Tuesday provided Sait with 24×7 security. Fairoz, Sait’s former gunman has been suspended and two new gunmen have been deployed for his safety.