Did gangster Sadiq Kalia’s nephew kill to avenge a 1997 police encounter or was it just a money dispute? | Mumbai News

During interrogation, Jawar told the police his family long harboured the suspicion that Ibrahim had passed on information about his uncle to the police when he was killed.

Police said Jawar began planning the attack three-four months ago and enlisted the help of his friend, Naushad Mithani (24), who has multiple theft cases registered against him in Mumbai.

According to police, the duo carried three knives measuring 12 inches, 7.5 inches and 4.5 inches, which were used in the crime. During questioning, Mithani allegedly confessed that he repeatedly stabbed Seliya, claiming he carried out the attack while Jawar stood by. Police said all three weapons have been recovered.

A police officer said Jawar and Mithani had known each other for several years, and that Jawar had earlier helped Mithani secure bail in criminal cases. “They are close friends. When Sadiq shared his plan for revenge, Mithani agreed to help him commit the murder,” the officer said.

Seliya’s family claim: ‘Dispute over money, not revenge’

Seliya’s family has rejected the police’s theory of a revenge killing, maintaining that the murder stemmed from a financial dispute between close relatives.

According to the complaint, Ibrahim Seliya was the brother of Fatima Ismail Jawar, the late grandmother of the accused. Jawar’s family, including his father Mohammed Aqib Jawar, resides in Mira Road.

In her statement, Seliya’s wife Tanzila said her husband had invested Rs 65 lakh in a business partnership with Mohammed Aqib Jawar, with an agreement that Rs 3.25 lakh would be paid every month. The payments were made either by Aqib or his son Sadiq, but delays often led to arguments, with Seliya confronting them over late payments. In the past three to four months, Sadiq had been handling the payments himself.

She alleged that tension escalated after the payment was delayed again following the 10th of last month, prompting Seliya to reprimand Sadiq, which led to a heated exchange.

On April 20, Sadiq allegedly arrived at Seliya’s residence around 6 pm. After being let in, he was again confronted by Seliya over the repeated delays, with Seliya asking him to return the entire amount if he could not pay on time. An argument broke out between the two.

Seliya’s wife said she stepped out briefly to buy groceries. When she returned around 6.30 pm, she found the door locked from outside. On entering the house, she found her husband lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab injuries to his neck, chest, abdomen and arms.

She rushed to a nearby hospital seeking help, but was advised to inform the police. Police then reached the spot and shifted Seliya to JJ Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Sadiq, who is married, lives with his wife and six-year-old daughter in the Silver Park area of Mira Road, while his parents reside in another flat nearby. Police said he assisted in his father’s grocery business and had no prior criminal record.

Sadiq Kalia and Mumbai Underworld connection
Sadiq Ismail Javar, alias Sadiq Kalia, was a feared underworld shooter linked to Dawood Ibrahim’s gang in the mid-1990s. Police records describe him as one of the syndicate’s most active hitmen between 1994 and 1997, allegedly involved in 71 serious offences, including 14 murders, along with several robberies and extortion cases.

Raised in Agripada, Kalia reportedly entered the criminal world after refusing to pay protection money. He first joined Arun Gawli’s gang before being recruited into D-Company by Chhota Shakeel. Police claim his rise was marked by extreme violence, including the alleged killing of his own brother-in-law to prove loyalty. Known for his ability to fire a pistol with both hands, he was linked to multiple high-profile killings across Mumbai.

He was killed at the age of 27 in a police encounter led by Inspector Daya Nayak in Dadar on December 12, 1997, after allegedly opening fire on the police.

Police said his death had a ripple effect within the family. His younger brother, Arif Kalia, allegedly joined the gang to avenge him and was later killed in a separate police encounter in 2002 while reportedly planning retaliation.

Another brother, Aquib Jawar, kept his memory alive by naming his infant son after him. The child, Sadiq Jawar, would grow up hearing about his uncle’s life and death, which investigators say later shaped his beliefs about the circumstances of the 1997 encounter and allegedly led to the murder that took place earlier this month.