Gujarat Police arrest four in ₹20,000 contract knife attack on Ahmedabad shopkeeper
Synopsis
A ₹20,000 contract allegedly paid by an advocate to settle a mortgage dispute ended in a four-knife-blow attack on an Ahmedabad shopkeeper — and the arrest of four men, including the lawyer who allegedly commissioned the assault. The case reveals how civil financial disputes can escalate into pre-planned criminal conspiracies.
Key Takeaways
Four accused arrested by Vivekanandnagar Police and Ahmedabad Rural LCB in connection with a contract knife attack on 9 July .
Complainant Nandkumar Mudaliyar (51) was allegedly struck with a knife four times at his shop in Sector-4/K, Ahmedabad .
Alleged mastermind advocate Rajeshkumar Sankanbhai Mahida (33) reportedly paid ₹20,000 to arrange the assault over a financial dispute.
Accused include two auto-rickshaw drivers and an intermediary, all from the Vatva area of Ahmedabad.
Police seized an iron knife, two-wheeler, auto-rickshaw, car, and four mobile phones ; legal proceedings are underway.
Vivekanandnagar Police in Ahmedabad Rural have arrested four accused in connection with a contract assault case in which a shopkeeper was allegedly attacked with a knife for a payment of ₹20,000. The incident, which took place on 9 July at approximately 8:15 pm in Sector-4/K, has been registered as an attempt-to-murder case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The Attack
Complainant Nandkumar Mudaliyar (51), a shopkeeper, was allegedly set upon by an unidentified assailant who entered his shop and inflicted around four knife blows, causing serious injuries, before fleeing the scene. A case was subsequently registered at Vivekanandnagar Police Station under Sections 109(1) and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
How the Conspiracy Unravelled
Acting on instructions from senior officers to detect unsolved cases involving bodily offences, Vivekanandnagar Police and the Ahmedabad Rural Local Crime Branch (LCB) launched a joint investigation using technical evidence and human intelligence. The LCB team first arrested Imtiyaz Sheikh, who allegedly carried out the knife attack. During interrogation, Sheikh allegedly disclosed that he had discussed the matter with his associate, Saro alias Battam Ansari, after seeking money.
Investigators allege that Ansari then introduced Sheikh to Azruddin alias Mama Sheikh, who in turn connected him with advocate Rajeshkumar Mahida. Police allege that Mahida had an ongoing financial dispute with the complainant over money taken against a house mortgage, and that he paid ₹20,000 to arrange the assault. According to police, the accused allegedly conducted prior reconnaissance of the complainant using a four-wheeler before sending Sheikh on a two-wheeler with a knife to execute the attack.
The Accused
The four arrested individuals are: Imtiyaz Sheikh (45), an auto-rickshaw driver from Vatva, Ahmedabad; Azruddin alias Mama Sheikh (22), an auto-rickshaw driver originally from Qutubnagar, Vatva; advocate Rajeshkumar Sankanbhai Mahida (33), a resident of Ahmedabad; and Saro alias Battam Naushad Ansari (26), a resident of Qutubnagar, Vatva.
Seizures and Next Steps
Police seized an iron knife, a two-wheeler, an auto-rickshaw, a car, and four mobile phones from the accused. Further legal proceedings against all four are underway. This case underscores a pattern of contract violence tied to civil disputes — where personal or financial grievances are allegedly outsourced to criminal networks rather than resolved through legal channels.
Point of View
It points to a troubling pattern: civil financial grievances being outsourced to hired assailants, with intermediary chains designed to insulate the principal from direct culpability. The relatively small sum — ₹20,000 — also suggests that contract violence in urban Gujarat is alarmingly accessible. Investigators will need to establish the financial dispute on record to build a watertight case; without documentary proof of the mortgage conflict, the conspiracy charge rests largely on interrogation disclosures.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Ahmedabad contract knife attack case?
A shopkeeper, Nandkumar Mudaliyar (51), was allegedly attacked with a knife at his shop in Sector-4/K, Ahmedabad, on 9 July at around 8:15 pm, sustaining around four stab wounds. Police allege the attack was commissioned for ₹20,000 by advocate Rajeshkumar Mahida, who reportedly had a financial dispute with the victim over a house mortgage.
Who are the four people arrested by Ahmedabad Police?
The four arrested are Imtiyaz Sheikh (45), the alleged attacker; Azruddin alias Mama Sheikh (22), who allegedly connected the parties; Saro alias Battam Naushad Ansari (26), the alleged intermediary; and advocate Rajeshkumar Sankanbhai Mahida (33), the alleged mastermind. All are residents of Ahmedabad.
Under which law has the case been registered?
The case has been registered under Sections 109(1) and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which cover attempt to murder and related offences. Further legal proceedings against all four accused are currently underway.
What evidence did police seize in the case?
Police seized an iron knife, a two-wheeler used in the attack, an auto-rickshaw, a car used for reconnaissance, and four mobile phones from the accused. The seizures were made following a joint investigation by Vivekanandnagar Police and the Ahmedabad Rural Local Crime Branch.
How did police crack the case?
The breakthrough came after senior officers directed the team to focus on unsolved bodily-offence cases. Using technical evidence and human intelligence, the Local Crime Branch arrested the alleged attacker Imtiyaz Sheikh first, whose interrogation disclosures led investigators to the remaining three accused.
