Absconding 1993 blast accused held

Mumbai, Aug 21 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, the crime branch sleuths of city police today arrested Karimullah Khan, one of the prime absconding accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts, from Nallasopara in neighbouring Thane district.

Addressing mediapersons here, Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Rakesh Maria said Khan, against whom a red cornor notice was issued as well and who had a reward of Rs five lakh on his head, had played a vital role in the landing of the explosives in Raigard district in 1993 before the blasts and had sent youths to Pakistan for weapon training.

He said the officials of crime branch unit-VI had received a tip-off that proclaimed offender Karumullah Khan was hiding at Nallasopara in Thane district. Following which, a team of crime branch sleuths laid a trap and arrested him for his alleged involvement in murder at Kalachowki in South Central Mumbai, Mr Maria said, adding thereafter he will be handed over to CBI for further investigations in the 1993 serial bomb blasts.

During the interrogation, he said after the blasts, he went to Karachi via Dubai and stayed there till 2006 with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his brother Anees Kaskar.

In 2006, he returned to India via Kathamandu, Nepal and stayed for a year at Mira Road in Thane district and thereafter shifted to Nallasophara, Mr Maria added.

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