The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was keen to grill Salim Abu Ghazi to bust the drug racket. But the problem was the man deported from Kathmandu by the Nepal government was not Ghazi.
The two deported by Nepal govt are not Ghazi and Khatri, says CBI; Tada court sets them freeThe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was keen to grill Salim Abu Ghazi to bust the drug racket. But the problem was the man deported from Kathmandu by the Nepal government was not Ghazi.
After the CBI admitted that the two recent arrests in the 1993 serial blasts case were cases of “mistaken identities”, the special Tada court set them free on Monday. The two were released from Arthur Road prison around 8.30pm.
Raman Tyagi, deputy superintendent of police, CBI-STF, submitted a detailed report
on Monday, stating that having verified the claims made by the two accused — Ashfaq Tak and Riyaz Lone — the agency had come to the conclusion that they had been wrongly arrested.
“It is true that Salim Abu Ghazi and Riyaz Khatri are wanted by the CBI in this case. However, the two persons deported by the Nepal government are not wanted. It is a clear case of mistaken identity. The CBI has verified their claims and is satisfied that they have been wrongly apprehended and wrongly deported. The CBI said that they don’t need police custody, and can be released forthwith,” said special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam. “The two would be flying back to Nepal at the CBI’s expense.”
In the wee hours of Saturday, the Nepal government deported Riyaz Lone and Ashfaq Tak from the Mahargunj area in Kathmandu, alleging that they were wanted in the 1993 serial blasts case. The duo was arrested by the CBI at Delhi international airport, and sent to Mumbai for further investigations.
However, when the two expressly told the investigators that they had been wrongly deported, the CBI was in a quandary whether or not to produce them before the court “since their identities have not been ascertained”. After much dilly-dallying, the agency produced the two before the special Tada court in Arthur Road jail after 5.30 pm, when the court was about to close.
Tak and Lone repeated their pleas before the court. Special judge DU Mulla told the CBI to provide proof that these people were indeed wanted in the 1993 serial blasts case.
According to sources, both Tak and Lone told the investigators that they had migrated from Kashmir to Nepal. Lone claimed to own a Kashmiri handicrafts shop in Kathmandu, Tak said he worked as a manpower recruitment agent.
“The agency (CBI) checked with their sources in Kashmir and verified that their (Tak and Lone’s) families were based there. They also checked with Khatri and Ghazi’s relatives and acquaintances here and realised that the facial features of the arrested do not match the ones we want,” said Nikam.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}