As the nucleus of culture and of course B-town central, Mumbai attracts aspiring artists by the boat-load each year. Few make it to the big leagues, while many move on to other dreams. Yet every once in a while we hear of an aspiring artist turn to a life of crime.
A guitarist, singer and photographer from Haryana did precisely this. Mohammed Imran alias Sherjung Siddiqui was recently arrested for allegedly stealing a DSLR camera and lenses from a photo studio in Seawoods. The desi kalakar apparently wanted to make professional videos for his social media accounts.
The 24-year-old came to Navi Mumbai as an aspiring musician around a year ago. He desired to make a living in the city of dreams and joined Imax Photo Studio in Seawoods as an office boy. It is there that he learned the basics of photography. Soon after, he created YouTube and Instagram accounts for posting his guitar performances and songs. He also auditioned for several reality music shows but did not make it into any.
It all began on October 14, 2018, when the studio’s photographer and Sherjung went for an outdoor shoot. On returning, the photographer stepped out for some snacks and asked Siddiqui to stay at the studio. That’s when the crime of opportunity was committed by Sherjung. He ran off with the camera bag containing a DSLR camera and two lenses, together worth Rs 6.5 lakh, report the cops.
A case was registered with the NRI coastal police station and was later transferred to the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch, Central Unit. Meanwhile, Siddiqui changed his phone number but continued to post new videos and photos. He took these using the stolen camera.
However, the cops were hot on the thief’s trail. Senior police inspector Jagdish Kulkarni from the Crime Branch Central Unit shares the official account with The Hindu.
“With the help of technical evidence, we traced his location to Nagina village in Mewat, Haryana. We were warned by the Delhi Police that the village was notorious for not entertaining any outside police officers.”
“A month-and-a-half ago, police officers from Ahmednagar had visited the village to arrest someone, and the villagers had attacked them. The local police fired shots, and a villager died. The villagers did not claim the body for 20 days till an FIR was registered against the police officer concerned,” Kulkarni revealed.
Local Solidarity or Gunda-giri?
Last week, when police sub-inspector Yogesh Deshmukh and three constables visited the village to nab Siddiqui, around 400 villagers surrounded them and blocked their entry. The next day, they tried again to enter the village, reasoning with the villagers to let them take Siddiqui. The cops warned them that if they objected, a case could be filed against them as well. They were finally able to convince the villagers.
They subsequently nabbed Siddiqui and brought him to Navi Mumbai. A Crime Branch officer said, “Sherjung learnt to play the guitar and to sing by watching YouTube videos. He wanted a professional camera to record himself, which led him to commit the crime.”
“Siddiqui’s family never knew that he was fond of music, as it is frowned upon as per their faith. He turned out to be a ‘secret superstar’ for them. Until we showed them his posts and videos, they had not seen them.”
Sherjung was remanded in judicial custody and was later granted bail by the court.