Khadim's case
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Khadim's case[1] refers to the 2001 kidnapping of Partha Pratim Roy Burman, chairman and managing director of Khadim's Shoes,[2] and his subsequent release after the payment of a ransom of ₹3.75 crore (US$794,732.3), some of which was reportedly used to fund the 9/11 attacks in America and the 13 December 2001 attack on Indian Parliament.[3]
In 2009, Dubai don Aftab Ansari was found to be the mastermind in the kidnapping and extortion; he and four of his aides were sentenced to life imprisonment.[4] In 2017, an additional eight people, including three Pakistani nationals, were found guilty in the kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.[5]
On 25 July 2001, Partha Pratim was kidnapped from C. N. Roy road in Tiljala, Calcutta in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. He was shot at when he resisted and then held hostage in a secluded house in a village in North 24 Parganas district[6] on the India-Bangladesh border.[7]
Ransom
Release
On 2 August 2001, Partha Pratim is released from a house in Pukhuria in Haroa, North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal state.[10]
Accused
There were altogether 33 accused in the case, including the four who abducted Roy Burman, two approvers and two others who were killed in police encounters. Three are still at large.[4]
- Aftab Ansari (a.k.a. Farhan Malik[11] and Shafiq Mohammad Rana)[12]- Gangster and leader of the cell.
- Asif Raza Khan (a.k.a. Rajan)[13] - dubbed the CEO of Aftab Ansari and member of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, arrested on 29 October 2001 in New Delhi by Delhi Police. Asif was in contact with released Harkat-ul-Ansar militant Omar Sheikh and had travelled to Pakistan to meet Omar.[14] According to police officer Neeraj Kumar, Asif is reported to have said that “boss Aftab Ansari had shared the ransom money collected in the kidnapping of Partha Pratim Roy Burman... with Omar Sheikh.” Omar Sheikh is reported to have transferred it to 9/11 attacker Mohamed Atta.
- Jalaluddin Molla (a.k.a. Amanullah Mandal and Babu Bhai), member of HuJIB (Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh) was believed to have played a key role in the crime and was arrested in Lucknow in June 2007.[15][16]