Mumbai, May 19 (IANS): A man named in a list of Most Wanted criminals given to Pakistan,has been found to be in Mumbai's fortified Arthur Road Central Jail and facing trial in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, official sources said. This is the second goof-up in the list.
Listed in the dossier as Most Wanted criminal No.27 - Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan - is shown as a wanted accused in the 1993 serial blasts case along with the absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.
Despite several attempts, top police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and home department officials remained unavailable for comments in the suspected goof-up, when contacted by IANS here Thursday evening.
This is the second goof-up in the list. Wazhul Qamar Khan, accused number 42, alleged to be in Pakistan, was found working and living with his family in Thane.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram expressed regrets and later Wazhul's name was struck off the list.
Feroze Khan was nabbed Feb. 6, 2010 by the state'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 Most Wanted 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.