Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has owned up the mistake of including a man who is in a Mumbai jail in the the list of India’s 50 Most Wanted fugitives allegedly hiding in Pakistan, a home ministry official said.

“They (the CBI) have admitted the mistake for erroneously including the name of Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan in the list given to Pakistan,” ministry spokesperson Onkar Kedia told IANS.

Kedia said that the CBI had named 40 people and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had included 10 suspected terrorists in the most wanted list that was given to Pakistan during the March home secretary level talks.

The CBI, the official said, “has written to the home ministry saying that had forgotten to remove the name from the list although the accused was in their custody”.

Listed in the dossier as Most Wanted criminal No.24 - Feroze Khan - is shown as a wanted accused in the 1993 serial blasts case along with the absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim.

He said the NIA has checked with its list and the agency stands by the names forwarded to the home ministry.

The CBI, he added, is now rechecking the names of 40 people it had given after the second goof-up in the list.

Earlier, Wazhul Qamar Khan, accused number 42, alleged to be in Pakistan, was found working and living with his family in Thane.

Feroze Khan was nabbed Feb 6, 2010 by Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorist Squad for his role in the 1993 blasts which were masterminded by Dawood and executed by Tiger Memon, who is also in the list.

Post-arrest, the ATS handed Feroze Khan to the CBI’s Special Task Force for further investigations

Soon after the serial blasts, he had gone missing for several years before surfacing under a new identity until he was busted last year.

Feroze Khan was a member of the Mohammed Dossa gang, who was the chief landing agent handling the consignment of arms and ammunition that arrived by the Arabian Sea routes before being taken by road to Mumbai.

Incidentally, Feroze Khan is lodged in the same high-security prison as Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, who has been sentenced to death for his role in the Nov. 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attack.