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| Exclusive photo of Karimullah Khan, is presently in the custody of crime branch in Nallasopara Pic/ Vinod Kumar Menon |
Mumbai crime branch will use this case against Khan to seek his custody from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) soon.
Khan, who is presently being interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection to the serial blast case, has provided lot of insight to security agencies not only on the serial blast case, but also on fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.
Khan has told police that he was a school dropout who took up a job similar to his father Osan Khan, a mathadi worker. Khan was then employed with the dock in Reay Road.
According to Khan, he soon developed a tiff with a drug lord Dilip Panchal, who was operating in Reay Road area and fatally shot Panchal in 1986. Soon after the murder, Khan and his associates went in hiding for four months. It was during this period, Khan came in contact with Ejaz Pathan and on instructions of Pathan, surrendered before police in early 1987.
As per the plan, Pathan got Khan out of jail in three months and started handling boys working for Pathan.
In February 1993, Khan, on Pathan's instructions, visited Shekhadi coast, near Shriwardhan in Raigad district along with Tiger Memon twice. He personally supervised the offloading of RDX, hand grenades and AK-assault rifles, transported them to Mumbra and Thane and then to Bandra lake and later to final destination Al-Hussaini building, where Tiger Memon lived, in Mahim. Khan informed police that he was paid Rs 30,000 for the job apart from his regular salary.
Soon after the serial blasts, Khan left India in June 1993 along with Pathan and moved his base to Dubai. He supervised Pathan's drug business for sometime and later moved to Karachi, Pakistan with Pathan.
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Rakesh Maira confirmed the move and said, "Khan is a very important catch and he has provided latest information on Dawood and his gang, which the security agencies were deprived of until now. Also he has provided clues on terror links of Dawood, which we are studying carefully."
On Dawood Ibrahim
Sometime in 1995-1996, Khan joined hands with Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees. He was responsible for the security cover provided to Dawood who now lives in a two-acre bungalow in Karachi's Clifton area. Apart from armed security personnel deployed by ISI, Dawood has also hired retired Pakistan army personnel's for security job. Khan told police that he was paid a fixed salary of Rs 20,000, as well as given free boarding and lodging in D's bungalow.
Dawood's network is extended all across Pakistan and his aides and gang members live in Pakistan Army quarters. According to Khan, Dawood regularly funded religious fundamentalist groups like Harakt-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), Harkat ul- Ansar, who regularly met Dawood at his bungalow. According to Khan, Dawood moves in Pakistan freely.
Apart from indulging in counterfeit currency, drugs, real estate and oil mixing, Dawood has now invested a lot of money in the share market. Dawood aides are running shopping malls and supermarkets in Pakistan and Karachi.
Amongst those fugitive gang members who fled India after the 1993 blast â Theba Anwar Ahmed Haji, Khan Yakub Wali Mohd alias Yeda Yakub and Javed Dawood alias Tailor alias Javed Chikna are still with Dawood in Karachi.
D-gang has been given a face-lift, if Khan is to be believed. Dawood has recruited qualified tech-savvy youngsters and Khan was not getting enough respect in the gang. Khan was also not happy with the education being provided to his children there, so he decided to return to India.
