11 January,2019 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Anamika Gharat
Abbas Irani with his bride Fatima
Notorious chain snatcher Abbas Irani alias Abbas Khan may have got the chance to have a big, fat wedding, but the police are determined to cut his honeymoon short. Following mid-day's January 10 report 'Are cops waiting for invitation to arrest notorious criminal?', the Thane police formed a special team to arrest Irani. Alas, the team returned empty-handed on Thursday, because they reached Irani's Ambivli home an hour after he'd fled with his wife Fatima.
MP to New Delhi
A resident of Irani's locality confirmed Irani had fled with his wife. Another resident, who'd also attended the wedding, said, "We attended his wedding on January 8. He was here till Wednesday night. I don't know what happened, but when police reached his house after 10 am, he was not there. We don't know where he has gone." The fugitive is wanted in two separate cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Another one of Irani's acquaintances said, "He left from home at 8.30 am with his wife; some family members helped him. He might have gone to the Pipariya village in Madhya Pradesh, where his relatives reside, and from there, could make his way to New Delhi. They have a good network over there. If he has reached there, it is impossible for the police to nab him. He has vanished for at least for six to eight months now." The acquaintance added that Irani might honeymoon at a hill station.
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'Will arrest him soon'
Irani fled after a grand three-day wedding in Kalyan, where there was no sign of the police. Senior officers from Thane police said, "We have formed teams to arrest the accused, and they are behind him since [Thursday] morning. We will arrest him soon." Thane Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar remained unavailable for comment. Sources said that Irani is protected from police action by his family's connections. His gang members Jafar Gulam Hussain, Faisal Ali Yusuf Ali Shaikh, Ali Hasan, Firoj Irani serve as his lookouts. His mother claims she is a member of a powerful political party.
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