Two accused of Mumbai blasts busted

BY BABURAM KHAREL

KATHMANDU, Sept 6 - In a major achievement, Nepal police has busted two key aides of underworld dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and "most wanted" for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, from their hideouts in the capital. Riyaz Khatri and Salim Abdul Ghani Ghazi alias ...

Indian Police has dubbed Riyaz one of the most dreaded terrorists after Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, and he was also said to double as Dawood's driver. Police said Riyaz and Ghazi were busted from Maharajgunj area in the capital. Earlier, Indian officials had suspected that Riyaz was hiding in Pakistan along with Dawood. His Red Corner notice number is A-648/12-1997.

According to a fact sheet from the Indian Home Ministry, Salim Abdul Ghani Ghazi alias Salim Ghazi is known for his underworld affinity to Chhota Shakeel, Indian police suspected that he was hiding in Pakistan. He carries a bounty of IRs 200,000 on his head.

Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Kant Aryal, who is chief of MPCD, said that the two accused men had been staying since long in the capital in the guise of business dealing in handicraft and manpower agents.

But Nepal police said they have not found any clues to show they were involved in any criminal activity in this country and they were not grilled. "As per the Interpol notice, we deported them to India on Friday, and we did not investigate the matter," one senior police official confirmed.

The Indian government has given high priority to tracking the perpetrators of the Mumbai blasts of March 12, 1993 in which 527 people were killed, 713 injured and property worth 270 million was destroyed.