Meerut: Four days after the main witness in a Muzaffarnagar riot case was shot dead in a busy Muzaffarnagar market, UP police on Saturday arrested one of the accused and also recovered the motorcycle and pistol used in the crime.Ashbab (35) was shot dead in Muzaffarnagar’s busy Indira Murti stretch on Monday night. Two men riding pillion on a motorcycle had opened indiscriminate fire at the 35-year-old milk vendor, killing him on the spot just days before he was to appear in a local court as the main witness in the murders of his two brothers lynched during the peak of 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.Police also revealed that western Uttar Pradesh’s notorious gangster Sushil Mooch’s son, Tony, was trying to strike a compromise in the case on behalf of the accused, and ordered the murder ofAshbab when he refused to relent.Police had booked Tony, his aide Deepak Chaudhary alias Vasu and four others for the murder.Choudhary was nabbed on Saturday afternoon. According to sources, absconding gangster Sushil Mooch runs a racket through his sons, including Tony. They take money from the accused and try to strike an out-of-court compromise with the victims in the crime-prone region.Muzaffarnagar SSP Sudhir Kumar said: “Choudhary is one of the aides of Sushil Mooch. Tony, Mooch’s son had tried to strike a compromise in the case, which had failed.” Police have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on any information leading to the arrest ofMooch. He is wanted in several cases of murder and robbery.Apart from Tony and Choudhary, four more persons -- who were also named in the charge-sheet of the riot case -- have been named in the murder of Ashbab.“A manhunt is on to nab others,” the SSP said.His lawyer, Nasir Ali told TOI that Ashbab was getting threats and had even approached police with a complaint in February.“All the six accused are out on bail now. Ashbab was the key witness in the case, and its next hearing is on March 25. He was being constantly pressurized to make compromise. Fearing that he will be killed, Ashbab had even approached police in February and filed a complaint,” Ali said.

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