Hit-n-run case turns out to be 'contract killing', driver held

In what was earlier thought to be a hit-and-run incident in Sion in central Mumbai, has turned out to be a case of 'contract killing', police said on Friday.

A 33-year-old man, who was driving a water tanker that fatally knocked down a hawker in January 2014, has been arrested by the crime branch of Mumbai police, an official said.

The incident had taken place at Wadala Link Road in Sion, in which Iqbal Barkat Khan (40), a hawker, had died, he said.

"The police had initially registered a case of accidental death. However, during the probe, officials of Unit III of Mumbai crime branch suspected that it was a murder and started investigating in that direction," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection), Dilip Sawant, said.

During the probe, police gathered information about Iqbal Khan and found that he had some business rivals, he said.

"The crime branch later got information about the driver of the tanker, identified as Amol Tatyasaheb Pasoba," the official said.

"Pasoba was driving the vehicle when it run over the victim," he said.

During his interrogation, Pasoba admitted that the tanker owner had given him a 'supari' (contract) of Rs 40,000 to eliminate Khan on the instructions of two accused persons, who had a rivalry with Khan, he said.

The two accused had showed Khan to Pasoba and also done a recce of the route that the victim was using, he said.

Police have launched a hunt for other accused in the case and a probe is underway, he said.