Bengaluru chemist murder: Suspected arms maker nabbed after police encounter

A suspected arms maker and an associate of one of the accused in the murder of a medical shop owner in Bengaluru’s Madiwala was shot in the right leg after he allegedly attacked a police constable with a sharp-edged weapon and threw chilli powder at a police team early on Friday.

The suspect, identified as Syed Zeeshan, 34, a resident of Subhash Nagar, was being traced by the police in connection with the murder of pharmacist Syed Suhail, who was hacked to death with machetes in the middle of a traffic jam in Bengaluru on August 22.

According to the police, Zeeshan had sharpened the machetes allegedly used in the attack. He was nabbed in an encounter near Somasandrapalya Lake around 12.50 am, the police said, adding that Zeeshan was an associate of Adil Akmal, one of the accused arrested in the Suhail murder case.

Apart from Akmal, the police had arrested Arbaz, Shaan, Yasin, Rafiullah, and Syed Farhan in connection with Suhail’s killing, which the investigators suspect was carried out to avenge the killing of a rowdy-sheeter, Shabbir, in January.

Suhail himself was not an accused in that case, though his brothers Syed Kaleem and Nazeer were arrested in connection with Shabbir's murder, said an officer. The police suspect that the two cases are linked to a gang rivalry over control of the Bandepalya area.

Following a tip-off, Inspector Manjunath R V deputed sub-inspector Sachin Gowda and a team to trace Zeeshan. They located him near Somasandrapalya Lake sometime after Thursday midnight. According to a senior police officer, Zeeshan brandished a sharp-edged weapon when the police tried to apprehend him.

He allegedly attacked a police constable in the team, injuring his left hand. The situation escalated when Zeeshan allegedly took out chilli powder and threw it at the policemen before attempting to attack them again. A senior police officer said, “He continued to pose a threat.

The sub-inspector first fired a warning shot and asked him to surrender. When he continued to attack the police, the officer fired another round, hitting him in the right leg.” Zeeshan and the constable were taken to a hospital in Jayanagar, and the two are reportedly out of danger, the police said.

The police have seized the two-wheeler allegedly used by Zeeshan and three weapons. A forensic team and scene-of-crime personnel visited the spot. The police have registered a case for attempt to murder, using criminal force against a government servant, breach of public peace, and carrying prohibited arms.