Bollywood starlet Laila shot dead; Father raises doubts

Jammu/Mumbai, Jul 5: The missing Pakistani-origin

starlet Laila Khan was murdered along with her family members in Maharashtra last year, according to the main accused in her kidnapping case, a claim contested by her father.

With no physical evidence to corroborate what Parvez Iqbal Tak told his interrogators in Jammu, Mumbai police and Jammu and Kashmir were verifying the veracity of his claim.

Laila has been missing for over a year. During interrogation, Parvez told police that Laila, her mother, sister and a friend were killed in Maharashtra in Feb last year, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Doda-Ramban range, Gareeb Dass told PTI in Jammu today.

They were killed by gunshots, Parvez, who is also a family friend, reportedly told interrogators, which also included a Mumbai Police Crime Branch team. Dass did not say whether Pervez gave any details of the killers. Dass said it was difficult to arrive at a conclusion as the bodies of the victims are yet to be found.

"Unless we get the bodies, we cannot for sure say," he said, adding, "We cannot give further details as the probe is in progress". "We are working on other leads too," he said. Mumbai Police had yesterday registered a kidnapping case against Parvez and Aasif Shaikh in connection following a complaint by Laila's father Nadir Patel.

Patel told a TV channel that Tak cannot be trusted and he often changed his statements. Patel said he was sure that Laila is safe and sound and that she will return home.

Mumbai Crime Branch has neither confirmed nor denied Pervez's claim. "Until we get the custody of Parvez in a kidnapping case registered here involving the actress and question him, it is not appropriate to speak anything on this topic," Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy said. "In any case, only after discovering the bodies, one can conclude murder.

Parvez will have to answer several questions when he is in our custody," he said. On Jun 21, Jammu and Kashmir Police had arrested Tak, a local forest contractor who had gone underground after a SUV belonging to Laila was recovered from his place in Kishtwar town.

PTI