He had throat cancer. So he killed the co-worker who got him hooked on cigarettes, police say

When Mustakeem Ahmad was diagnosed with throat cancer at the age of 25, he knew who to blame: the co-worker who he said introduced him to cigarettes.

Ahmad also knew what he was going to do about it — try to get him fired from the job, and, if that didn’t work out, shoot him dead.

And that’s exactly what happened, according to the International Business Times.

Ahmad, a cook at a restaurant owned by his brother-in-law in West Delhi, India, shot dead his 25-year-old coworker only identified as Inayat on Thursday.

Shibesh Singh, deputy commissioner of police, said Ahmad and Inayat were reportedly friends in their workplace, but that “Inayat was reportedly better at his job and well-behaved and soon became the favourite of the restaurant owner.”

Because of this, Ahmad was reportedly frustrated, and began smoking cigarettes and marijuana, which he said Inayat introduced him to, according to the Hindustan Times.

“In the course of time, Ahmad developed throat infection, forcing him to consult a doctor,” Singh said. “Ahmad has claimed that the doctor told him he had developed throat cancer due to excessive smoking.”

The cancer diagnosis reportedly began weighing on his mind, and he was eventually fired from his job for poor performance, according to India Today.

He returned to his native village in Uttar Pradesh, where he bought a pistol and some cartridges. There, he practiced shooting the gun so he wouldn’t miss, according to India Today.

When he got back to West Delhi, he urged his brother-in-law to fire Inayat.

“He was carrying his loaded pistol to the restaurant and had planned to kill Inayat if he failed to get him fired from the job,” an investigator told the International Business Times. “That is what eventually happened. Ahmad ended up picking a fight with Inayat. He later shot at him in the middle of the argument.”

Inayat was taken the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Police arrested Ahmad, who originally fled the scene, on Friday.

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 10:34 AM with the headline "He had throat cancer. So he killed the co-worker who got him hooked on cigarettes, police say."