Detained 17-year-old released after 5 days

The Bandra unit of the Crime Branch on Tuesday released Javed Husain Mohammed Illyas (17), whose family has alleged the police had illegally detained him for about five days.

The Bandra unit of the Crime Branch on Tuesday released Javed Husain Mohammed Illyas (17), whose family has alleged the police had illegally detained him for about five days.

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The family has also alleged that an officer from the unit had demanded a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for Illyas’ release. The police denied the charge and said that Naigaon-based Illyas was picked up because he happened to be a friend of an accused charged in an arms case, and for his help to trace the accused.

The police added that Illyas even led them to one of his friends, from whom a country-made revolver was seized. “Javed’s help was sought, now further investigations are on,” said Ashok Kamath, senior police inspector with Bandra crime branch Unit 9.

Illyas’ family had alleged he was picked up at around 5 am on Friday, when he was working at the Naigaon port. They claimed that after searching for him all day at police stations across the city, a woman told them that she had seen Illyas being taken away by four-five well-built men in a white car.

The family learned much later that he had been detained by the police. His father Mohammed Ilyas Wahab said that when he approached the police, an officer had demanded money from him and threatened, in a veiled manner, to kill Illyas in an encounter. The police have denied the allegations.