ATS Mumbai arrests “key witness” in Mumbai blasts, seizes laptop, sim from Delhi
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Competition between the Special Cell, Delhi Police and Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) Mumbai for scoring anti-terror credentials, has pitted the two agencies against each other. The controversial fight between the two premiere investigative agencies, probing 13/7 Mumbai serial blasts, has resulted in Mumbai ATS arresting Naquee Ahmad, a Darbhanga-based leather-businessman. Ahmad is also a “key witness” in the blast probe, who has been co-operating with the Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police special Cell.
Naquee Ahmad, who had helped the investigators in making the sketch of the alleged culprits behind the blast, has been arrested by Mumbai ATS on January 9, on trivial charges under the 419 and 420 sections of the IPC for getting a phone sim card allegedly on fake documents. Ahmad had also helped the investigators in locating the house in Bycula, allegedly used by the suspects behind the blast.
Taquee Ahmed (Right) addressing media along with eminent civil rights activist Shabnam Hashmi at ANHAD office in Delhi on 18th Jan. 2012
The Mumbai ATS sleuths visited Delhi on Wednesday evening and questioned Taquee Ahmad, an MBA student of IIPM. Importantly, they barged in the office of ANHAD where Taquee, along with Shabnam Hashmi and Manisha Sethi, had just addressed a press conference regarding the “illegal arrest” of his brothers.
While initially hesitant in disclosing their identity, the ATS sleuths questioned Taquee for more than two hours. They inspected Naquee’s house in Abul Fazal and took his laptop, BlackBerry phone and a sim card.
Special Cell, Delhi Police and the IB are not very happy about the arrest of their “key witness” which they see as “ruining the progress” they had made in the investigation of the serial blasts. They believe that Naquee's arrest might have alerted the suspects who stayed in the Bycula apartment who won't turn up now. Ahmad’s brother, Rafee Ahmad has also been detained by the Mumbai ATS. Naquee’s native place in Darbhanga was also raided allegedly by the ATS few days back.
Naquee’s connection with the entire case, is that he was an acquaintance of Gayur Ahmad Jamali (he has been arrested in November 2011) who had requested Naquee to arrange a house for two of his friends. According to Delhi police, the two friends whom Naquee ended up helping get a house in Bycula area of Mumbai, were associates of Yasin Bhatkal, “Waqas” and “Tabrez”
Taquee, on the other hand, maintained that his brother has been “falsely” arrested by the Mumbai ATS on completely baseless charges. While talking to the media Taquee said that Naquee was not Jamali’s friend but just an acquaintance, who was unaware of Jamali’s intentions.
“All this while, we have been co-operating with the intelligence agencies and helped them by every thing we had got because we want the enemies of our country behind bars. But we had not expected that we will get this kind of treatment for our co-operation,” Taquee said.
Related story
http://twocircles.net/2012jan18/harassment_bihar_family_due_competition_between_investigative_agencies.html