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Journalism of Courage
THE abduction of shoe baron Partho Roy Burman in Kolkata in July 2001, six months before the attack on the American Center, gave the city a scare that lingered for months.
The prime mover behind the two crimes was one: Aftab Ahmed Ansari, who was deported from Dubai in February 2002.
Ansari alias Farhan Mallik and Jamaluddin Nasir were both sentenced to death last year for the attack on the American Center. Trial in the kidnapping case, meanwhile, is on at a special court set up inside the Alipur Central Jail. Of the 169 witnesses, 22 have been examined.
THE jail authorities earlier refused to produce Ansari and Nasir at the special court citing security reasons but finally did on May 13, 2005. In all there are 35 accused in the Burman abduction case. Nine of them are in custody while the others are out on bail.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bengal Police, who had investigated the case, filed the chargesheet in 2003. Charges were framed by the special court in May 2005.
On the pace of the trial Syed Shahid Imam, lawyer of Ansari and other accused, says: ‘‘It’s very slow. The charge has already been framed by the court. As of now 22 witnesses have been examined but nothing substantial has come out. Some other accused in the case are lodged in Tihar Jail and they are facing trial there.’’
Ansari, was also found guilty by the POTA Review Committee in another case, this time in Delhi. The Pota Review Committee visited him at Alipur Central Jail in November 2005 and later upheld POTA charges against him.
PARTHO Roy Burman, vice chairman of the Khadim group of companies, was kidnapped in July 2001 from EM Bypass in Kolkata. He returned home on his own after his family members allegedly paid a ransom of Rs 5 crore.
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Double Trouble |
The police arrested one Abdul Rashid alias Babu Bahi, a member of the gang said to be responsible for the abduction of Burman. The operation to nab Rashid was carried out jointly by the special cell of Delhi Police and CID, West Bengal Police.
Harpreet Singh alias Happy Singh, another gang member was arrested by Delhi Police on September 5. During the interrogation Happy admitted planning of Burman’s abduction with Aftab Ansari, a Varanasi based criminal.
Investigation revealed Ansari reportedly hired a few others including Rashid to carry out the abduction. At the time of Burman’s abduction, Rashid visited Dubai where he stayed with Ansari. The ransom was paid to Ansari in Dubai through a hawala transaction. Rashid returned to India once the ransom was paid.
But eventually that money could not buy them freedom.
