Murder victim named as police reveal suspect car was later set on fire

A murder investigation was launched by the Metropolitan Police after Mohammad died in hospital on June 19.

Two days earlier, Mohammad was stabbed twice in High Road in Whetstone following reports of a fight.

Police have revealed four vehicles were seen travelling towards High Road when one of the vehicles - a blue Lexus Saloon - appeared to deliberately crash into one of the other vehicles - a dark coloured BMW.

Everyone inside the vehicles is then said to have begun fighting, resulting in Mohammad being stabbed twice with a knife.

The attack is believed to have been filmed on a mobile phone.

Police cordon in Whetstone High Road on morning of Friday June 18. Credit: Mike Lindup

An emergency call came in at 10.24pm (Thursday June 17) and the London Ambulance Service and Met rushed to the scene where Mohammad was found in a critical condition.

He was taken to a north-west London hospital but died from his injuries at around 11.15pm on June 19.

Mohammad's family are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

A post-mortem examination was carried out at Haringey Mortuary on Wednesday and gave the cause of death as a stab wound.

When officers arrived at the scene in Whetstone on the night of June 17, the suspects had already fled in the blue Lexus and a black Range Rover.

The Lexus vehicle headed in the direction of St Margarets Avenue and was later found on fire in Tillingham Way, near the junction with Twineham Green, in Woodside Park.

The Range Rover made off in the direction of Totteridge Lane and the vehicle was later found near Dale Grove in North Finchley.

So far, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the incident in Whetstone town centre.

But exactly a week on from the stabbing, police returned to the streets of Whetstone last night in an attempt to uncover more on who is responsible for Mohammed's murder.

Victim Mohammad Raza Gulzar. Credit: Met Police

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith, said: "My team has been working tirelessly around the clock to establish the events that lead to the sad death of Mohammad Raza Gulzar a few days after the attack.

"A week on from the attack, I am appealing to members of the public that may have any information relating to this incident to come forward and speak to the police. Any information that you provide, no matter how insignificant it may seem, might be crucial to our investigation.

"I am specifically appealing to anyone that may have filmed the incident on their mobile phone or anyone that may have seen the blue Lexus or the black Range Rover on the short journeys that they took immediately after the stabbing.

"Someone in the area may perhaps have seen the blue Lexus with a damaged front arriving at Tillingham Way near the junction with Twineham Green.

"I would urge residents that live in the area and anyone that was driving in the area on Thursday June 17 to check their door bell and dashcam footage."

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has mobile phone, dash-cam or doorbell footage should call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD8736/17JUN.

To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.

• Five men aged 27, 28, 29, 29, and 29 were arrested on June 18 on suspicion of affray. They were taken to a north London police station and were later released on bail.

• Five men aged 27, 33, 35, 55, and 54 were arrested on June 19 on suspicion of attempted murder. They were later all either bail or released under investigation.
• A man, 27, was arrested on June 21 in the Blackburn area of north-west London, on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender. He has since been bailed to return mid-July.