HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Police on Friday revealed that the alleged hit-and-run death of senior advocate and Waqf Board panel lawyer Khaja Moizuddin was, in fact, a carefully planned contract killing. Telangana Congress leader Mujahid Alam Khan and his father, Mahaboob Alam Khan, have been arrested for allegedly masterminding the murder, according to news agency ANI. Following the arrests, the Telangana Congress Disciplinary Committee suspended both leaders from the party. According to a press release issued by Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar, IPS, the incident took place on May 23 in Hyderabad’s Nampally area. Moizuddin was leaving his residence for his regular morning swim when a green Mahindra Scorpio without registration plates allegedly rammed into him at high speed before fleeing the spot. Sajjanar said, “There was a brutal murder of senior advocate Khaja Moizuddin on the 23rd when he was coming out of his house to go swimming at 5:45 in the morning. Two people came in a Scorpio, intentionally hit him, and injured him. Soon after the injury, he was shifted to Mahavir Hospital, and later on to a private hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. Acting on a complaint, Nampally police registered a case… and started our investigation. We have arrested seven people: Mujahid Alam Khan, Mahboob Alam Khan, Kishan, and four others who are involved in this offence.” He added, “There’s a decade-long battle between Khaja Moizuddin, Mahboob Alam Khan and Mujahid Alam Khan for the administration, control, and financial management of waqf properties of Malakpet and Lakdikapul.” Police said the seven accused will be produced before a local magistrate and sent to judicial custody. Investigators added that further custodial interrogation would be conducted to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy. “These seven accused will be produced, and they will be sent to judicial custody. We will again take them into police custody and interrogate them to unearth the entire conspiracy. We still have to interrogate these people. As of now, about three people are absconding, we are feeling. But we have to still unearth, have to find out who the people are who are again involved in the entire conspiracy,” Sajjanar said. Initially treated as a serious hit-and-run case, Moizuddin was first admitted to Mahaveer Hospital and later shifted to UDAI Omni Hospital in Abids, where he died during treatment. During the investigation, police analysed CCTV footage from multiple locations, including Panchavati Lodge in Secunderabad and Mehfil Hotel in Narayanguda. According to investigators, the footage showed that the Scorpio had been waiting outside the advocate’s residence and tracking his movements before the attack. Police said the murder stemmed from long-standing legal disputes between the accused and the deceased advocate. “Several civil, criminal and Waqf Tribunal cases have been pending between both groups for many years. The accused believed they were facing continuous legal setbacks and humiliation due to the deceased’s active involvement in litigation,” police stated. Investigators alleged that growing resentment over legal disputes related to Waqf properties in Malakpet and Lakdikapul led Mujahid Alam Khan and his father to allegedly plan a ₹15 lakh contract killing. Police said the conspiracy had been underway since early 2026. In January, the alleged hit squad began conducting surveillance near Moizuddin’s residence to monitor his routine movements. According to investigators, Mujahid Alam Khan allegedly arranged ₹2 lakh through an associate, Hassan Ali alias Chaous, to purchase a second-hand Scorpio allegedly used in the crime. Police said intermediaries Muneer and Hassan Ali coordinated with Kishan alias Pappu, who then allegedly hired Vinay, Abhijeeth, Vikram and Manideep to execute the attack. The investigation took a major turn on May 27 when police tracked Kishan alias Pappu to Panipat in Haryana. During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed details of the conspiracy, leading investigators to the alleged masterminds. On May 29, police arrested Mujahid Alam Khan from his residence in Jubilee Hills, while his father and other accused were apprehended from different locations across Hyderabad. Police said they recovered key evidence, including the Scorpio allegedly used in the murder, ₹10.10 lakh in cash reportedly meant for the hit squad, and multiple mobile phones allegedly used to coordinate the operation. The investigation is being led by Assistant Commissioner of Police P Praveen Kumar along with Nampally police officials. Police said efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining absconding accused. The accused have been booked under Sections 103(1) (Murder) and 61(2)(a) (Criminal Conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
