‘Shocked’ blast accused says he’s been in Thane for 12 yrs

As the Mumbai police scrambled to find out how Wazhul Kamar Khan’s name made its way into the 50 Most Wanted list given to Pakistan, the 44-year-old blast accused said he was “shocked” to learn that his name was on it. HT reports.

As the Mumbai police scrambled to find out how Wazhul Kamar Khan’s name made its way into the 50 Most Wanted list given to Pakistan, the 44-year-old blast accused said he was “shocked” to learn that his name was on it.

HT Image

“I have been here in Thane for years…how come they included my name…?” he told PTI.

Khan, who has a zari business, said he had lost his passport sometime back and has never been to Pakistan.

“I am innocent in all the cases. I had no role to play in the Mulund or any other blasts. I was falsely implicated, I have been regularly attending court proceedings and I am sure that I will prove my innocence in court,” he was quoted as saying.

Across town, security agencies spent the day passing the buck.

A senior officer of the ATS blamed the Mumbai Crime Branch, saying it’s their responsibility to liaise with the Centre; the Crime Branch, in turn, said they had not been consulted by the central agencies that prepared the list.

His eldest daughter, 15, termed the goof-up as “a careless act”. According to his family, Khan has been living with them in Mumbai for the past 20 years. Earlier they used to live in Kurla, but shifted to Thane 12 years ago.

Khan used to run an old furniture business at his shop next to his house. He then delved into embroidery machinery and zari business.