The Indian police yesterday handed over three listed criminals of Bangladesh, including a close accomplice of notorious Kala Jahangir, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
They are Habibur Rahman Taj, 29, Ibrahim, 31 and Selim alias Lambu Selim, 35.
Police officials said that Taj, second-in-command of top-listed criminal Kala Jahangir, had been hiding in India under the alias of Naimul Hasan with Ibrahim and Selim under the aliases Sohel Ibrahim and Biplob.
Taj and Selim were arrested in Kolkata in March while Ibrahim in August on charge of illegal intrusion to India and were sent to jail. The Kolkata police planned to deport them to Bangladesh after their jail terms, as there is no extradition treaty between the two nations. They were handed over to Bangladesh yesterday following a request from the Bangladeshi authorities.
Police sources said that the arrested criminals are infamous although their names were not included in the list of 23 top criminals declared by the then government on December 27, 2001 in the wake of severe slide in law and order.
The government also announced bounties for their arrest.
As the top criminals fled the country following the listing, Taj, Ibrahim and Lambu Selim played key role in running their gang and continuing crimes including murder and extortions in Mirpur, Kafrul, Bhashantek and Mohakhali areas.
In several phases, the present government handed over lists of 373 suspected criminals, who are reportedly hiding in India, to the Indian authorities. The names of these three were on the list, police sources said.
Our Benapole correspondent adds: A team of 30 CID officials of West Bengal, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Swapan Saha, brought the three criminals to the camp of Border Security Force (BSF) at Petrapole at noon. After completing the formalities, they handed over the three to a 12-member team of CID led by CID Additional SP Abdullah Aref.