Bike-borne shooter guns down man after wife leaves:Accused swallows SIM card when police track him down

In this edition of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, we revisit Ujjain’s 10-year-old Tower Chowk murder case, which once sent shockwaves through the city. One morning, as usual, a woman dropped her husband near his office and left for the market. The young businessman began walking towards his office. Suddenly, two men on a motorcycle arrived. Within seconds, one of them pulled out a gun and shot him in the head. The victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. After battling for life for four days, he died. The brazen attack in one of the busiest areas of the city created panic and put the police under immense pressure. At that time, the police had no clear clue about the killers. Meanwhile, the victim’s family staged protests outside the police station and the IG office, raising questions over law and order. Who were the attackers on the motorcycle? What was their motive? And how were they eventually caught? Read the full story in Crime Files – Part 1. Gunfire sparks panic at Tower Chowk It was around 10:30 AM on August 18, 2015. Tower Chowk, considered the heart of Ujjain, was buzzing with activity as traders prepared to open their shops. Suddenly, chaos erupted. People heard a loud gunshot from the lane behind Basawada Petrol Pump at Tower Chowk. Panic spread instantly, and people began running in different directions. Within moments, people saw a young man lying on the road in a pool of blood. The injured man was identified as Manish Meena, an emerging businessman in the city. He had been shot in the head and was writhing in pain on the ground. Manish operated a Tata Finance Company franchise and was also involved in property dealings. His office was located on the first floor of a building in the same street where the shooting occurred. Dies four days later in hospital After receiving information, police rushed to the scene, and Manish was taken to the district hospital by a 108 ambulance. The incident, which occurred in the middle of a busy market area, stunned the entire city. However, the situation worsened when Manish succumbed to his injuries four days later on August 22. His death sparked outrage among traders and businessmen across Ujjain. Love marriage two years earlier Shot in the head at close range Around 10:30 AM, Meenakshi dropped Manish a short distance from his office on her red scooter before heading towards the market. Manish began walking towards his office when suddenly two youths arrived on a black motorcycle. Without saying anything, they stopped the bike near him. The man sitting on the back seat fired a shot at Manish’s head from very close range. Manish collapsed instantly, hitting the ground with a thud, while the attackers sped away from the spot. Put on ventilator immediately Because of the severe head injury, Manish’s condition was extremely critical. Doctors placed him on a ventilator immediately after he was brought to the government hospital. Later, he was referred to CHL Hospital for better treatment. Despite four days of medical care, his condition did not improve. Never regained consciousness According to Dr. B.B. Purohit, who conducted the post-mortem, the examination was carried out by a panel of two doctors. The report revealed a one-centimeter hole in the head that had reached the brain. There was also a 2.5-centimeter stitched wound on the left frontal part of the head. After removing the stitches, doctors found a fracture in the skull, which was identified as the bullet’s exit wound. This indicated that the bullet entered from one side of the head and exited from the other. The cause of death was declared as coma due to severe brain injury and internal bleeding. Police announce Rs 10,000 reward Even after the shooting on August 18 and Manish’s death on August 22, police had no breakthrough in the case. Anger among family members continued to grow. Manish’s wife Meenakshi and other relatives staged a protest outside Madhavnagar police station, demanding immediate arrest of the killers. Pressure on the police increased from all sides. In response, then SP Manohar Singh Verma appealed to the public for information and announced a reward of Rs 10,000. First breakthrough after 10 days About 10 days after the incident, police received their first major clue. Two young men who had gone to a nearby lane to use the bathroom after drinking tea told police that the man who fired the shot was Hanif. During investigation, police found that Hanif, son of Anwar Khan, lived in Khandar Mohalla and worked with an NGO called Arunoday Sarveshwari Lok Kalyan Samiti. When police reached the NGO office, Hanif was found working there. Rizwan rode the bike Hanif was taken to the police station for questioning. Initially, he denied the accusations. However, when police confronted him with eyewitness accounts, he eventually broke down. During interrogation, Hanif confessed that his accomplice Rizwan, was riding the motorcycle during the incident. At this point, police had identified two main accused, Hanif, the shooter, and Rizwan, the bike rider. Weapon and bike recovered During intense questioning, Hanif revealed where he had hidden the country-made pistol used in the crime. Based on his information, police recovered the weapon from Inzamam’s house. Further investigation also revealed that the motorcycle used in the attack belonged to a young man named Dilshad. Hanif had borrowed the bike from him. After the shooting, Hanif first went to Dilshad to return the bike and later left the area with Rizwan. Unanswered questions The police had finally identified the shooters and recovered key evidence. But the most important mystery was still unresolved. The answers to these chilling questions will be revealed in Part-2 of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files.