Kolkata court sentences eight more to life in 2001 Khadim owner abduction case
The sum of Rs 3.75 crore that the family reportedly paid for Partha Roy Burman’s release was allegedly transferred to Dubai and used in carrying out terrorism across the globe, including the attack on the World Trade Centre in New Work in September 2001.
A Kolkata court on Monday afternoon ordered life imprisonment for three Pakistan nationals and five local criminals found guilty of kidnapping city-based businessman Partha Roy Burman in July 2001.
These men comprised the second set of accused to face sentence in this case. The principal accused, Aftab Ansari, who also masterminded the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata in December 2002 and killing of several policemen, was sentenced to life in 2009 along with four of his associates. Ansari was arrested in Dubai.
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Ansari used to work for the al-Qaeda, the CBI and anti-terrorist units of several states later found. Roy Burman is a partner in the family-owned Khadim Group which is best known for its chain of footwear stores. The sum of Rs 3.75 crore that the family reportedly paid for Roy Burman’s release was allegedly transferred to Dubai and used in carrying out terrorism across the globe, including the attack on the World Trade Centre in New Work in September 2001.
Those sentenced by the Alipore court on Monday were Mizanur Rahman, Mozammel Sheikh, Nayeem, Noor Mohammed, Dilshad alias Khalid Mehmood, Akhtar, Arshad and Jalal Mollah alias Omar.
Read: ‘Kolkata tycoon’s abduction was planned in Bangladesh’
Arshad, Dilashad and Nayeem, the three Pakistani nationals, pleaded through their lawyer that the government should deport them to Pakistan since they had already served more than 10 years in judicial custody. The judge however did not listen to their plea and sentenced them along with the others.
The Roy Burman kidnapping created a sensation and exposed the Kolkata Police to international terrorism for the first time.
Read: Indian Mujahideen: Little- known terror outfit that kept the country on tenterhooks
The kidnappers were led by Asif Raza Khan who grew up in Kolkata. He was taken to several states for interrogation and killed by policemen in Rajkot when he tried to escape. He told members of the Special Task Force (STF) that the ransom money was used by the Al Qaida to carry out the 9/11 attacks.
Khan also told the police that he knew Jaish-e-Mohammed members and came to know from them about the plan to attack the Indian Parliament.
Important dates in the abduction case:
July 25, 2001: Partha Roy Burman kidnapped from C N Roy Road in Topsia in the eastern fringe of Kolkata.
August 2, 2001: Roy Burman released by kidnappers after his family pays ransom.
January 23, 2002: Anfab Ansari arrested in Dubai and deported to India.
May 21 2009: Ansari and four associates sentenced to life imprisonment after long trial.