CID nabs man working as butcher in Mumbai, says he ‘smothered & skinned’ Bangladesh MP

Kolkata: The State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a man identified as Jihad Hawaladar, working as a butcher in Mumbai, for the alleged murder of Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim on Thursday night from Bongaon.

The MP was last seen in Kolkata and was missing from May 13. Hawaladar was produced at the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) Court in Barasat and has been remanded to 12 days police custody.

Sources said, Hawaladar is a butcher by profession and was reportedly brought to Mumbai by one of the prime accused Akhtarujjaman, initially. Later, he was brought to Kolkata

to kill Azim. The arrested man, a Bangladeshi citizen and a butcher by profession, has admitted during interrogation that he helped the other accused in chopping the victim’s body before disposing of the parts in different locations, probe officers claimed. Additionally, CID officials discovered that Akhtarujjaman had rented a flat in Chinar Park in 2018. It is alleged that Hawaladar was kept there for a few days. Police have found several names in the agreement papers but have been unable to contact any of them, including Akhtarujjaman’s driver, Pintu Das, as their mobile phones are switched off.

Meanwhile, a woman identified as Shilasti Rahman, who is presently in the custody of Bangladesh Police is suspected to have honey-trapped Azim and made him come to India.

The MP was even compelled to come to New Town where he was murdered. During preliminary interrogation, Hawaladar reportedly told the cops that after the MP was strangled to death, his skin was smothering then his body was hacked into multiple pieces. The body parts were then cut into smaller pieces and stored in a freezer. These were then transported in three luggage trolleys and are suspected to have been dumped in the Polerhat area.

On Thursday night, CID officials took Hawaladar to Polerhat, but the accused reportedly told the police that he was unable to identify the location where the body

was dumped. Police also suspect that Hawaladar was given crores of rupees to kill Azim and dump the body. Police are interrogating Hawaladar to find out other accused persons involved in the murder of the Bangladesh MP.

Police also suspect that Hawaladar was paid crores of rupees to kill Azim and dispose of the body. He is currently being interrogated.

Meanwhile, reportedly the 3 suspects who were picked up in Bangladesh were remanded to 8-day police custody by a Bangladesh court.