Mumbai:
After the huge embarrassment over the blooper in India's most wanted list of fugitives in Pakistan, Wazhul Kamar Khan's profile has been promptly erased from the CBI's website.
Khan's profile was prominent in the page on the Interpol red corner notices.
The government has, meanwhile, ordered an inquiry into how Wazhul Khan, whose name appeared on a list handed over to Pakistan recently, wound up in Mumbai's Thane district, living comfortably with his family.
Khan, an accused in the 2003 Mulund blasts, has been living in Thane's Waghle Estate with his mother, wife and children, after he was let out on bail, sources said. The forty-four-year-old was also involved in the 2003 Vile Parle and Ghatkopar blasts, besides the 2002 Mumbai Central station blasts.
Speaking to NDTV, Khan said, "I have never visited Pakistan. I have been living in Thane for the past 12 years." He also said that that he wasn't aware of his name being on the most wanted list that was handed to Pakistan.
Union Home Secretary GK Pillai, meanwhile, has said that the Home Ministry will verify records and that Wazhul's name should have been removed from the list. He also said that his Ministry was to blame for the goof-up.
"That list was prepared a month ago. Don't know if he is the same person...there could be two persons with the same name. It could be an error of judgement. I also read in the newspaper about this...will check what happened," said Home Minister P Chidambaram after the Mumbai police blamed the Home Ministry for not checking.
Not satisfied with the Home Minister's explanation, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley called the error "a monumental lapse."
"This has embarrassed the whole country. Whoever is responsible in the Home Ministry be punished. The Home ministry has risen to its incompetence," Jaitley said.
In 2008, just after the 26/11 attacks, the Ministry of Home Affairs prepared the most wanted list of terror suspects, allegedly sheltered by Pakistan. The list was prepared with inputs from the Maharashtra police, the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was asked to verify the list which included Khan's name. The list was subsequently shared with Pakistan. At that time, Khan was wanted by the security agencies as he was absconding. He was later arrested in 2010.
Sources say, the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police failed to inform the Central investigating agencies including the CBI about Khan's arrest.
But, sources in the Mumbai police told NDTV that they had sent the report on Khan's arrest to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) five months ago. The IB, they say, should have removed Khan's name from the list.
Khan's name is at number 41 in the list of 50 India's 50 most-wanted fugitives hdiing in Pakistan. The list includes Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and dreaded terrorist Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi besides others.
(Read: India lists 50 most-wanted fugitives hiding in Pakistan)