Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 8: In a significant development in the Mumtaz Ali suicide case, three more individuals have been arrested by the Mangaluru police on Wednesday, October 9, adding momentum to the ongoing investigation.
The arrested individuals, identified as Abdul Satthar, Mustafa, and Shafi, are believed to have played a crucial role in the events leading to Ali's tragic death. Abdul Satthar is marked A2 in the FIR and is said to be as mastermind of the crime.
This brings the total number of arrested suspects to six. Earlier, Ayesha (A1 ), alias Rehmat, along with her husband Shoaib (A5) and an accomplice Siraj, were apprehended by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police for their involvement in blackmailing and mentally harassing Ali. The group allegedly extorted Rs 50 lac from Ali and were demanding an additional Rs 50 lac, leading to severe mental distress, which culminated in his suicide.
The case, which took a tragic turn on October 6, began when Ali's car was found in an accident condition near the Kuloor bridge in Mangaluru. His body was later recovered from the Phalguni river after an extensive search operation. Ali had reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to his daughter expressing his intention not to return, which raised alarms.
According to the FIR filed by Ali’s brother, the accused had falsely implicated Ali in an illicit relationship with Ayesha, using it to blackmail him. Ali, chairman of Misbah Group of Educational Institutions and brother of former MLA Mohiuddin Bava, had been suffering mentally due to the harassment, which eventually led him to take the extreme step.
Police commissioner Anupam Agrawal had earlier confirmed that the investigation was focused on uncovering the extent of the blackmail and those involved in instigating the businessman to commit suicide. The arrests of Abdul Satthar, Mustafa, and Shafi are expected to shed further light on the conspiracy.