Ansari gets lifer in Khadim kidnap case

Kolkata, May 21: Aftab Ansari, facing death sentence in the 2002 terror attack on the American centre in Kolkata, is sentenced to life imprisonment along with four others for kidnapping shoe baron Partha Roy Burman in 2001.

Biswarup Bandyopathyay, additional district judge, delivered the judgement in a court inside security Alipore Central Jail. Jamaluddin Nasir, who was also involved in the Burman kidnapping case, was earlier sentenced to death along with Aftab Ansari in the American Center attack case.

Public prosecutor Naba Ghosh, said that the four others who were sentenced life imprisonment are Happay Singh, Aquib Ali, Abdur Rehman Punji and Asabuddin. They were also fined with Rs 5,000 each.

Aftab had hatched Khadim shoe company managing director"s abduction plan in Dubai. He had made calls from a Pakistan-based telephone number and had extorted Rs 3.75 crore from Roy Burman family for Burman"s release.

The case has suffered setbacks in the past when some of key witnesses including Burman turned hostile. Burman refused to identify the voice, recorded in an audio tape while he was in the custody of his abductors. Asif Reza Khan and Obeda, the two of the key accused died during the trial and the others turned approvers in the case.

OneIndia News