Author: Amandeep Shukla
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 22, 2006
URL: http://cities.expressindia.com/archivefullstory.php?newsid=193796&creation_date=2006-07-22
In Ghansoli village, Navi Mumbai, an hour's
train-ride from Mumbai, Mumtaz Khan's closest acquaintances, who work in a
garment factory, describe him as a loner.
All they know about him, they say, is that
Mumtaz-arrested by the Anti Terrorist Squad on Thursday for his alleged role
in the serial blasts in the city on 7/11-offered Urdu tuitions in the area
to earn a living and slept in the factory's quarters in the night.
''He would often leave home at 7 am and return
only around 11 pm. We don't know where he went,'' said Mohammed Illyas, who
owns the factory that makes garments for dolls. ''But on Wednesday, he didn't
come back. We had last seen him on Tuesday night. We were worried.''
In Kandivli, a Mumbai suburb, north-west of
Ghansoli, Mumtaz's brother Nisar is also worried.
Nisar and younger brother Ansar live in Ganesh
Nagar, a slum settlement. Mumtaz, the eldest of the three, travelled to Ganesh
Nagar on most Fridays to meet his brothers.
Nisar, Mumtaz and Ansar are not familiar names
in the area, where the biggest business is timber. Finally, there was one
person, who knew a Nisar, who works for a scrap-dealer.
''I just got a call from home that Mumtaz
has been arrested,'' Nisar told Newsline. ''I don't know why, I don't know
where to go. I don't know how my brother came into contact with such people.''
Home for the brothers, said Nisar, is in Taimarehmat
Village in Basti district, Uttar Pradesh. Mumtaz's wife, five daughters and
son live there. Mumtaz had visited them two years ago.
Nisar added that Mumtaz came to Mumbai ''10-15
years ago'', he came soon after and Ansar followed. Mumtaz Khan's full name
is Mumtaz Ahmed Maqbool Ahmed Choudhary.
Kamal Ahmed Mohammed Vakil Ansari, who's also
been arrested in connection with the blasts from Bihar, is Mumtaz's brother-in-law,
said Nisar. Khalid Azizraunak Aziz Sheikh (24), the third accused, also arrested
from Bihar, is a relative.
''They stay in Bihar and often travel to Delhi,
but I don't know if they had come to Mumbai recently,'' said Nisar.
