Dec 30: The owner of Scandal Shoes and High Street boutique, Hajibhai Kapadia, was shot dead this morning by unidentified persons at Linking Road, Bandra. The murder, coming at the fag end of the year, completes a cycle of underworld-linked killings in Mumbai which started with the sensational murder of union leader Datta Samant in January. In between, the city has been witness to the murders of mill owner Vallabh Thakkar, ABS leader Jitendra Dabholkar, builder Natwarlal Desai and music baron Gulshan Kumar, besides several other encounter killings.Police said Kapadia (45), a resident of Kalina, was shot in the compound of the building housing his shops at around 10.30 am. Kapadia had just entered the compound in his grey Opel Astra and parked his car when the assailants struck.
The assailants pumped 13 rounds from a 9 mm revolver into Kapadia. Hit on the head, face and neck, he succumbed to his injuries at Lilavati Hospital, Bandra. His brother Razak, however, who was with him in the car, escaped
unhurt.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants were following Kapadia in a Fiat car. When Kapadia's Opel Astra entered the compound, they stopped outside at the gate.
While the Fiat's driver remained inside, three others walked towards Kapadia's car and fired athim. Subsequently they escaped in the same Fiat.
An eyewitness described one of these assailants as being around 5 feet 10 inches tall, well-built and clad in a white shirt and a black trouser. About the others however he said he could not get a good look at them as everything happened in a blur.
A security guard of Scandal Shoes said, ``I was standing outside the shop when I heard the sound of fire-crackers. Soon, there was a commotion and I saw people running. I followed them and saw Kapadia saab lying slumped in his car in a pool of blood.''
However, most of the shopkeepers whose shops are located opposite the building where the shootout took place say they didn't see anything.
Sources said Kapadia normally visited his shops in the
afternoon or evening, but today he had come early. Police have yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing.
But police sources said that it could be the handiwork of the Chhota Rajan gang, since Kapadia was allegedly connected with the Dawood Ibrahim gang.
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
