Bangladesh releases Gulshan Kumar’s murderer

Bangladesh on Monday freed Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant, a top aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, on the expiry of his jail term for cross-border intrusion. The Mumbai police is likely to seek Merchant’s custody from Bangladeshi authorities . Merchant convicted for killing Bollywood music baron Gulshan Kumar in 1997.Merchant walked out of the Dhaka Central Jail in the afternoon.

Kumar was shot while he was coming out of a temple in Andheri on August 12, 1997.

Allegedly a contract killer, Merchant, 37, was sentenced to life term in Mumbai in 2002 for killing Kumar. Merchant, was the only one of 19 accused to be convicted in the case.

Merchant, however, filed an appeal against his conviction.

He absconded after being released on parole in April, 2009 to visit his family in Mumbai.

The same year, Bangladeshi authorities arrested him from Mourail, with two associates, while he was hiding in the residence of one Kamal Mian.

He was then sentenced to five years in prison for intruding and illegally staying in Bangladesh.

Merchant’s release came 11 months after Bangladesh authorities said that they decided to extradite Merchant.

“We will soon take up the necessary steps to get Merchant back,” said a top Mumbai police officer.

A CBI officer said that, once they received a request from the Mumbai police, they would take up the issue of Merchant’s extradition with Bangladesh through proper channels.