In a statement given to the police before his death, the 67-year-old said that his nephew pushed him from the doorstep of his brother's fourth floor apartment during an altercation, causing him to lose his balance and fall

Bollywood film producer Sajid Nadiadwala's 67-year-old father-in-law was allegedly pushed to his death from a fourth floor Versova apartment by his nephew over a property dispute on Tuesday morning.

Azizul Khan, the victim, used to live in Saurabh Apartment at Seven Bungalows in Versova.

The incident took place at around 10.30 am, when Azizul went to meet his younger brother, Khalid Khan, who resides in F wing of the same society. In spite of the property dispute, Khalid and Azizul were close.

After Azizul rang the doorbell, Khalid's younger son Tizar answered the door and said that his father wasn't at home.

Azizul returned and rang the door bell again a while later. This time, Shazeb Khan (20), Khalid's eldest son, answered the door.

An angry verbal exchange followed, after which Shazeb allegedly pushed his uncle. Azizul lost balance, and fell through the gap between the stairs.

Neighbours found him lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor and rushed him to Kokilaben hospital. He succumbed to his injuries at 6 pm.

Before his death, Azizul gave a statement to the police, saying that Shazeb had pushed him from the fourth floor after an altercation. Shazeb was arrested the same night by Versova police, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. He was later produced in court, and has been remanded in police custody till October 15.

`Azizul used to visit his brother every day in the afternoon, in spite of the dispute over property. The accused did not approve of this. And this could have led him to take the drastic step, ` said a relative of the family.

`Azizul has three daughters and a son. The son had severed ties with the family after marrying outside the community. The three are daughters married and stayed with their husbands, ` added the relative.

According to Mohsin Khan, son of the deceased and complainant in the case, the two families have been fighting over a piece of property. `This is the reason behind the conspiracy to kill my father, ` he told the police.

`There is an old piece of property, and there are four flats in the same society, over which the quarrel must have taken place. We had taken the statement of the deceased and he told us that the accused had pushed him, ` said Senior Police Inspector Sharad Borse of Versova police station.

`The two families are both in the construction business, ` added Borse.

After Divya Bharti's death, Nadiadwala married Wardha Khan, the eldest daughter of the deceased.