Laila Khan’s father moves HC seeking CBI probe

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Alleging that Maharashtra Police did not promptly probe the Laila Khan case after the Bollywood starlet's sudden disappearance with her family, her father Nadir Shah Patel on Tuesday moved the Bombay High Court seeking transfer of the case from crime branch to CBI.

The city's crime branch had earlier claimed to have cracked the mystery behind the family's disappearance last year with the recovery of six skeletons believed to be those of Laila, her mother Shelina, three siblings and a relative at the family farmhouse in Igatpuri.

The family was allegedly done to death by Laila's step father and third husband of her mother Pervez Tak, a small-time contractor from Jammu and Kashmir.

The murder came to light following Tak's arrest by J-K Police and his sustained questioning. In his petition, Patel has alleged the crime branch and local police in Maharashtra had not properly investigated the case for a year despite a missing persons complaint by him.

According to Patel, he had approached Oshiwara police last year to file a missing complaint but till the arrest of Tak no probe was initiated by the police. It was only when Jammu and Kashmir Police gave details to the crime branch after Tak's alleged confession that a probe was initiated, the petition said.

While seeking CBI probe, Patel has also sought action against the senior inspectors of Oshiwara and Igatpuri police stations for their failure to discharge their duties.

The petition will come up for hearing in due course.