Terror-linked starlet Laila Khan murdered

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Laila Khan, who was missing along with her family since February 2011, was murdered, her step father Parvez Tak revealed. Laila, whose real name is Reshma Patel, was last seen in movie ‘Wafaa’ with Rajesh Khanna. She had gone missing with her mother Saleena Patel, sister Azmina, brother and a cousin from Mumbai last year. According to Tak, Laila and the other family members were killed on February 4, 2011. On being interrogated by the Police, Tak said that Laila and her family members were killed for money and property worth crores of rupees that they owned. It was alleged that Laila could have been involved with terror outfits. She came under the lens in the Delhi High Court blast probe after it emerged that a Mitsubishi Outlander (MH02-AY-7867), which was registered in her mother`s name Saleena Patel, was used for ferrying explosives by terrorists. That SUV was traced to Parvez`s rented shop in Kishtwar on May 28 this year, leading to the unraveling of the entire plot. It is also believed that Laila had conducted a recce of Mumbai and compiled a list of places and maps, which she reportedly handed over to the Lashkar-e-Toiba. On June 7, a special team of Maharashtra ATS along with J&K police traced the personal belongings and documents of Laila and her family. They retrieved the items from her SUV, but were not able to recover the diamond and gold jewellery along with cash valued at over Rs 2 crore which the family was carrying. Tak’s statements have been contradictory and hence the real reason behind her murder is still speculated. A team from the crime branch department from Mumbai has left for Kishtwad, Jammu and will take custody of Tak in Laila's murder case. The Crime branch has also recorded a statement of Nadir Patel, Laila's biological father and registered a case of murder based on his statement.