Man wanted for 1993 blasts arrested in Mumbai

IN THE NET: CBI had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for any news of the man's whereabouts.

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested Karimullaha Khan Usman Khan in connection with the 1993 serial bombing in the city. The CBI had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for any news of his whereabouts.

Khan has been absconding for the past 15 years and was allegedly living with gangster Dawood Ibrahim at his Karachi residence till 2006. He was arrested on Thursday from Thane in Mumbai.

"When we recieved information about him present in Thane, we immidiately acted upon it. Karimullaha Khan Usman Khan, was arrested by Unit VI of teh Crime Branch," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria.

Khan was arrested from his residence in the suburb of Nallasopara where he was living with his wife and three children. He was working as a real estate agent.

Khan who is an aide of deceased gangster Ejaz Pathan, is accused of having supervised the landing of RDX and guns prior to the blasts at Shekhadi, in Raigad district, a few months prior to the March 12, 1993 blast, Maria said.

He is suspected to have fled from the city in June 1993 and a red corner notice had been issued against him by Interpol in 1995, the police officer said.

After initially going to Dubai, Khan travelled to Karachi where he was working at the residence of Dawood and has seen the underworld don with his aides there.

"His statement is important since he has verified that Dawood, his brothers Anees and Noora and aides like Chhota Shakeel and Tiger Memon, are living in Karachi," added Maria.

Dawood has been designated a global terrorist by the US. Despite India seeking his custody, Pakistan has consistently denied the gangster's presence in the country.

Khan, who was living in Pakistan with his family, returned to Mumbai in 2006 by first travelling from Karachi to Kathmandu by air and then using the land route to enter India.