The CBI, probing Shehla Masood murder case, has identified the weapon used in the killing of Bhopal-based RTI activist on August 16, 2011. The murder weapon (.15 bore revolver) belonged to Shanu Olanga, a Kanpur-based contract killer who was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle borne miscreants near the Gora Kabristan area in Kanpur on November 30, 2011.
Sources in the CBI said, “The agency will recover the murder weapon (.15 bore revolver) in a day or two. The weapon belonged to Olanga. We are in touch with senior officials of the Uttar Pradesh Police in this regard.”
“A team of CBI officials may visit Olanga’s house in Kanpur on Wednesday. Olanga’s father has already been questioned by the CBI officials in this regard. Besides, UP police sleuths are already in touch with other family members of Olanga to recover the murder weapon at the earliest,” sources said.
Probe by the CBI has revealed that a contract killer Shakib Danger, who undertook a contract to get Masood killed from Bhopal-based interior designer Zahida Parvez, had further sub-contracted the murder assignment to Olanga and his associates. “The shooter, Olanga, and his associates — Irfan, Salim and Shakib — were at the spot when the former killed Masood near her Koh-e-Fiza residence on August 16, 2011,” sources said.
Sources further said, “Probe has also revealed that Zahida had allegedly given Shakib a supari (contract) of `3 lakh for eliminating Masood. Zahida allegedly decided to eliminate RTI activist because of her growing closeness with a Bhopal-based BJP MLA.” The CBI recently arrested Zahida and Shakib in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, the three accused — Zahida, her friend Saba and Shakib — were on Tuesday remanded to judicial custody till March 26 by the special CBI court in Indore. All three accused were sent on a 14-day judicial remand at the end of their extended CBI remand by the Special CBI court judicial magistrate Subhra Singh.