Wahab changed cars on way to Mumbai to dodge police

Abdul Wahab, the former aide to gangster Latif, escaped police surveillance by constantly changing vehicles on his way to Mumbai.

From there he flew to Mecca for his Haj pilgrimage.

Thus the efforts of the Ahmedabad police, which was trying to prevent him from leaving the country, came to naught.

Sources said that Wahab had booked two tickets for Mecca, one from Ahmedabad and another from Mumbai. "He took the flight from Mumbai to go to Haj," said a source.

They said on his way to Mumbai, he changed vehicles many times to escape the cops, who were waiting to trap him at the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport in Ahmedabad.

The cops had also kept a watch outside his home in the city. However, he failed to show up.His family on the other hand travelled for the Haj pilgrimage on November 19 from the city airport.

The ticket booked in Wahabs name in the city remained unclaimed.'Wahab went by road to Mumbai and changed vehicles on the way. Although cops were under the impression that he would leave from Ahmedabad airport, he had left for Mecca from Mumbai itself on November 17," said a source. "His family left on November 19 from the Ahmedabad airport," said the source

A source also said that Wahab had called up police personnel from various locations but his actual location remained untraced."He thus led the police on a mad chase," said the source.

"Wahab has said that he will return to India and is not fleeing the country," said another source.

Sources in the Ahmedabad city crime branch also confirmed that Wahab had left the country.

A senior crime branch official said, "We have reports that he has left the country as he received permission from the court."Shahpur police and special branch had sent a letter to the passport authority informing them that cases of murder and extortion are pending against Wahab.

Therefore, if he leaves there will be a problem.

Once, a close aide of Abdul Latif, Wahab had moved on to start his own gang.The police have been keeping a watch on his movements as it feared that the Latif gang may regroup with his help.