Guns, drugs, dirty cops and a frame-up

Accused Faqrudin Sayyed (right); his friend and co-accused Gopal alias Gopi Arunachalam Mooponr

Following a raid at the house of a Matunga-based sales executive, which led to the alleged recovery of 485 gms of mephedrone (MD) worth Rs 60 lakh and a revolver, the Shahu Nagar police arrested him and his friend on Friday. But, the 30-year-old accused's family and friends claim the cops were carrying the drugs with them when they arrived to raid the house and the gun was planted by them at the behest of the man's fiancee's friend, who was not happy with their engagement.

However, the police said that the accused had got the drugs through a courier and should have informed them about it, but instead they kept it. Mentioning that they had not framed the duo in a false case, the cops said that they were trying to find out from where and how they purchased the drugs and weapon. The arrested youths have been identified as Faqrudin Sayyed, 30, and his friend Gopal alias Gopi Arunachalam Mooponr, 22, both residents of Matunga Labour Camp near Kumbharwada Junction, Matunga East.

Friends of the duo have written to the CP demanding justice in the case

The Shahu Nagar cops registered a case under various sections of the NDPS Act and Arms Act and arrested the duo. They were produced before the Kurla metropolitan magistrate court and were remanded in police custody till December 1. Claiming that they did not have a single criminal case against them, a group of their friends has written a letter to the Commissioner of Police (CP) seeking justice for them.

Sayyed works as a team leader in his company while Gopal runs his own cable business in the area.

According to their friends, on Friday night around 8.30 pm a courier delivery boy arrived at Sayyed's residence to deliver a package. Since he was not at home, the boy left the box at a paanshop located on the ground floor, which is also owned by Sayyed. However, 30 minutes later the boy returned and took back the parcel saying that it had to be delivered to Sayyed.

The paanshop at the ground floor of the Sayyeds' residence

Police sources said that Sayyed lives with his elder brother and an uncle, who were out for some work on that day. When he along with his friend returned home around 9.30 pm, four cops in plain clothes suddenly barged into the house and started raiding the premises. Later they found the same package at their home that the courier delivery boy had collected from the paanshop. The cops opened the packet and found the drugs and gun.

Speaking to mid-day, Sayyed's brother Sadik Sayyed said, "I returned home around 9.45 pm when I saw the cops taking my brother and his friend along with them. A day later when I met my brother in court, he said that cops had got the package with them and later told us that they found it in the house. My brother works at a good firm and earns a decent salary every month. I've never seen him dealing in drugs or carrying any gun. The allegations are false. Both of them are innocent. My brother also told me that the cops forced Gopal to be a witness in the case on the promise of releasing him."

Faqrudin's brother Sadik who says the cops planted the drugs and weapon at the house

Advocate Nitin Satpute, who is representing the accused, said, "My clients are being falsely framed in the case. The cops said that they recovered a huge quantity of MD, which can only be supplied by a drug dealer, not by businessmen or regular employees. They don't have any drug links and are innocent. The courier delivery boy is behind the crime."

Investigating officer Sandip Sawant of Shahu Nagar police station said, "We received a tip-off and conducted the raid at Sayyed's residence. During the raid we found the MD and a country-made gun with bullets. We did a punchnama at the spot and arrested both of them. We are also checking CCTV cameras and trying to find out who sent the package. We are looking for the courier delivery boy as well. If they got the drugs and weapon through courier, then why did they keep it at their residence? They should have informed us. Every criminal says that they are innocent. We are checking their past records as well, and trying to find out how they bought the MD and gun. The investigation is still on. We haven't framed them in a
false case."

When contacted, Rizwan Shaikh, who runs the paanshop at the ground floor of Sayyed's residence said, "A courier boy came to the shop and gave me the package saying that Sayyed was not at home. I took the box and kept it with me. However, 30 minutes later he returned and took back the parcel saying that he would give it to Sayyed himself. I gave it to him and he left in a hurry."

Justice for Sayyed

Meanwhile, seven of the duo's friends - Vinayak Hubbaji, Diana Fernando, Parmesh Maitri, Chetan Kamble, Tukaram Chalke, Yeshudas Arulraj and Sadiq Sayyed have written a letter to the CP requesting him to investigate the matter and give justice to the duo.

Speaking to mid-day, Hubbaji said, "The role of the police is questionable. The cops found the box that was returned by the paanshop owner during the search. How is it possible? The allegations against our friends are baseless."

Adding to this, Fernando said, "The police officers barged into the house carrying a parcel, which they claimed to have recovered from Sayyed's house. The reality is that the police checked the duo and did not find anything on them. They arrested them without any proof. After reaching the police station, the cops claimed that the package had 485 gms of MD and a gun. As per the FIR, out of the total amount of MD confiscated, 290 gms were registered under Sayyed's name and 195 gms under Gopal's name."

"Sayyed and Gopal are simple and hardworking people. They are our childhood friends and they will never do something like this. Our friends are innocent," added Maitri.

Maitri further added, "We suspect that one of the bride's common friends is involved in the matter as he has more than six to seven cases of NDPS and others against him. He should be interrogated."

485
Amount of MD (in gms) allegedly found