Laila Khan

Laila Khan (born Reshma Patel) was an Pakistan-born[1] Bollywood actress, best known for her role opposite Rajesh Khanna in the 2008 movie Wafa: A Deadly Love Story. Laila was allegedly married to Munir Khan, a member of the Bangladeshi terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami.[2] Laila, along with some members of her family, was allegedly shot dead in 2011 in Maharashtra.[3]

Alleged role in terror activities

Khan allegedly supplied the Lakhkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which was planning an attack, with information on the city of Mumbai.[4]

Disappearance

On the night of January 30, 2011, Laila, accompanied by her mother Shelina, older sister Hashmina, twin siblings Imran and Zara, and cousin Rehshma, drove out of Mumbai towards their holiday home in Igatpuri, 126 km north of Mumbai. On February 9, 2011, Laila's mother spoke with her sister Albana Patel and informed her that she was in Chandigarh with her third husband Pervez Iqbal Tak. After this the family vanished without a trace.[5]

Subsequently, Laila’s father, Nadir Shah Patel (Shelina's first husband), filed a complaint at a Mumbai police station stating that his daughter had gone missing along with some members of her family.[6] A similar complaint was also filed by Bollywood film director Rakesh Sawant, who was shooting his second film Jinnat with Laila just before she disappeared from Mumbai. Nadir Shah Patel has appealed to the Bombay High Court on 17 July 2012 seeking transfer of her daughter's murder case from Crime Branch to CBI, alleging that the former did not probe the case promptly.[7]

Police investigation and arrest of suspects

Laila's step-fathers, Parvez Iqbal Tak, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba member, and Asif Sheikh (Shelina's second husband), were suspected of being behind Laila and her family's disappearance. Police also questioned Nadir Shah Patel during the investigation.

Parvez Iqbal Tak was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in connection with another case on June 21, 2012. During interrogation Tak admitted that Laila and some members of her family were shot dead in Maharashtra in February 2011. The next day Tak retracted his story, claiming instead that Laila and her family were still alive.[8] The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police investigating the kidnapping case brought Tak to Mumbai, where he was produced before Esplanade Court, Southern Mumbai on 10 July 2012. The Court sent Tak to Police custody till July 19.[9] Confessing before the Crime Branch, Tak changed his statement for a third time, claiming instead, that he intended to kill Laila's mother Shelina for continuously humiliating him, and for having relationship with other men. Tak told interrogators that he, along with his associates killed Laila and her five family members and buried their bodies behind Laila's Igatpuri bungalow. He allegedly killed all of them as Laila had witnessed her mother's murder. Owing to Tak's continuously changing statements, the Mumbai Police is reluctant to place full reliance on his testimony.[10][11] Tak has been taken to Igatpuri to corroborate the claims he made during his interrogation.[12]

Asif Sheikh was arrested from Bangalore. Sheikh confessed that he and Tak shot and killed Laila and her family.[10][13] Asif Sheikh's name was revealed as one of the co-conspirators by Parvez Tak in his earlier confession before the Jammu and Kashmir Police.[14]

While examining Laila's Igatpuri bungalow, the Police investigation team found six skeletons, believed to be those of Laila and her family members. Himanshu Roy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mumbai, said that the bodies had been found carefully buried in a pit. Detailing the find, Mr Roy said three bodies were placed at the bottom of a 12 feet by eight feet pit, which was about six feet deep. The pit, covered first with mattresses and pillows and then with stone; then, three more bodies were placed and similarly covered and finally, the pit was covered with mud. The stones were used to keep wild animals away. There is very little clothing left on the skeletal remains, but it is evident that the victims were murdered and buried with even jewellery on the bodies. There is one male body, presumably say the police, that of Laila's brother Imran and five female bodies. The bodies will be matched against DNA samples from Laila's biological father, Nadir Patel. The identities of the bodies found would be confirmed by the forensic report. The police say they have recovered the murder weapons - iron rods and two knives at the farmhouse.[15]

It is believed that money, jealousy, property and possible shifting of the family to Dubai were the cause of the family murder.[16] It was the decision of Laila and her family to migrate to Dubai, and their proximity to Laila's mother Shelina's second husband Asif Sheikh that cost them their lives. Parvez Tak, the third husband of Shelina, piqued that he would be left behind as he didn't have a passport and Asif held the power of attorney to Shelina's properties wiped out the entire family at their Igatpuri farmhouse in Nashik district in February 2011.[17] Investigation of Tak revealed that he intended to flee to Nepal where his LeT connections would have helped him to avoid arrest. He was, however, arrested by J&K police in another case, before he could flee to Nepal.[18]

The Police has also detained two persons - Jolly Guilder and Mehboob, who Tak had hired to drive Laila's car from Igatpuri to Indore and onward to Delhi, and finally to Kishtwar where it was eventually recovered.[19]

As a part of their investigations, cops are likely to open the bank locker of Laila Khan and scan three bank accounts of the family. [20] In November 2012,based on a DNA test report crime branch officer claimed that the remains discovered at Laila Khan's Igatpuri farmhouse belong to her and her relatives.[21]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Bollywood actor Laila Khan's murder mystery solved".
  2. ↑ "All about B-Town starlet Laila Khan".
  3. ↑ "Starlet Laila Khan shot dead in 2012, trail leads to Jammu and Kashmir".
  4. ↑ "Missing starlet Laila Khan recced Mumbai for LeT in 2011". IBN Live. Mumbai. Jun 7, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Sex, Sin and the Missing Starlet".
  6. ↑ Lipika Varma (June 12, 2012). "Laila Khan kidnapped?". Deccan Chronicle.
  7. ↑ "Laila Khan's father moves HC seeking CBI probe". 17 July 2012.
  8. ↑ Bollywood Actress & Suspected Terrorist Laila... | Gather
  9. ↑ "Laila case: Forest contractor brought to Mumbai". 10 July 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Missing actor Laila Khan is dead, key accused Parvez Iqbal Tak says". The Times Of India.
  11. ↑ "Laila killed as she saw mom’s murder: Parvez Tak". The Times Of India.
  12. ↑ "Laila Khan case: Tak taken to Nashik for probe".
  13. ↑ "Suspect confesses he killed Laila, her family".
  14. ↑ "Laila Khan murder mystery persists; 3 more accused".
  15. ↑ Laila Khan case: Actress, family killed with iron rods after BBQ party | NDTV.com
  16. ↑ "Greed, jealousy drove Tak to murder starlet and family: Police". 12 July 2012.
  17. ↑ "Plan to migrate to Dubai cost Laila Khan, kin their lives - The Times of India". The Times Of India.
  18. ↑ "Laila Khan killer Tak wanted to flee to Nepal, seek LeT help". 12 July 2012.
  19. ↑ "Laila Khan case: Six skeletons found at her farmhouse, say sources".
  20. ↑ "Cops may open Laila Khan's locker". The Times Of India. 19 July 2012.
  21. ↑ "DNA tests show recovered remains are that of Laila, kin". The Times Of India. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
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