Agartala: The CBI officials have flown the prime accused of a fake international passport racket Abdul Latif to Kolkata from Agartala following transit remand granted by the Sub-divisional Magistrate of Sonamura in Western bordering town of Tripura.
CBI had filed petition seeking transit remand and court granted it. Latif was brought from Sonamura to Agartala on November 1 night. The Tripura police had arrested Latif on October 29 from his residence at Rangamatiya village of Sonamura and the court sent him to a-14-day judicial custody. Latif was absconding for 8 years in CBI record.
The CBI had also submitted chargesheet against him to Kolkata Metropolitan Magistrate Court No 12 on June 28, 2005 where he was shown as absconding.
It was alleged that Latif had managed several fake passports over the years and one of his accomplice was Nurl Islam who had been detained with fake passport in 2005 and was now, in jail.
Allegedly, a number of anti-national elements had been facilitated by Latif in travel from Bangladesh to India through Tripura border besides, issuing fake passport for them.
Based on Nurl’s statement CBI came to know about Latif. but the CBI had failed to arrest him, as he had been absconding for past eight years.
On September 26, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued permanent warrant against Latif and announced Rs 50,000 cash reward for his arrest or information. In the meantime, Sonamura police got information of Latif’s arrival in the village last week but it took a few days to ascertain his identity as per the warrant of MHA. The Tripura police has already intimated the arrest of Latif to CBI anti-corruption branch at Kolkata and asserted to assist his transit remand. However, Latif denied the allegation against him and stated that he had been working with a local lawyer as an assistant but later shifted to a leather industry in Chennai. (UNI)
