New Delhi, May 19: In yet another major embarrassment for the government, another “fugitive” named in India's most wanted list handed over to Pakistan has been found in a jail in Mumbai, just days after the first such case came to light.
Feroz Abdul Khan, alias Hamza, 51, an accused in 1993 Mumbai blast case, was arrested from a village in Navi Mumbai February last year and was handed over to CBI for further investigation.
CBI had issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Khan in 1994 but the notice was not withdrawn even after the agency has got his custody.
“CBI has conveyed to the Home Ministry that the lapse was on the agency's part. When CBI forwarded the list to MHA, they forgot to delete the name of this person,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
Khan is alleged to have facilitated transport and distribution of arms and ammunitions during the blast and subsequently. Mumbai police had alleged that following Dawood Ibrahim's instructions, Khan arranged for landing of arms allegedly used in the blast.
“We are examining the matter and strict action will be intitiated against erring officials,” CBI spokesperon Dharini Mishra said.
Earlier, Wazhur Kamar Khan, whose name had also figured in India's most wanted list, was traced in Mumbai, in the first case of the goof-up.
The Home Ministry spokesperson said CBI intimated the ministry that, on verification, they (CBI) found that when the agency had forwarded the list of most wanted persons before the Home Secretary-level talks with Pakistan in March this year, they erroneously included name of Khan in it.
CBI told the Ministry that they are also looking at other names which they had provided to the MHA and were included in the list of 50 most wanted persons handed over to Pakistan.
Meanwhile sources said CBI had provided around 40 names of the most wanted list handed over to Pakistan while rest 10 names were given by National Investigation Agency.
NIA verified their list of 10 people and confirmed that all are are at large, they said.
In yet another goof-up CBI officials reached Copenhagen with an expired arrest warrant for Purulia armsdrop accused Kim Davy. The flaw was pointed out by Kim Davy's lawyer in Copenhagen.
