By IANS,
New Delhi : The terrorists surprised by a police party in the capital’s Jamia Nagar area Friday were traced with the help of inputs from Mumbai Police, officials sources said here Saturday, discounting Delhi Police claims that its Special Cell was responsible for gathering information on the terrorist hideout.
“Information about terrorists staying in Batla House area of Jamia Nagar was received from the Mumbai police. They got this information during interrogation of three-four militants arrested 13 days ago from Pune,” a Delhi Police official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
Two terrorists, allegedly involved in the serial bombings in the capital Sep 13 that claimed 24 lives, were shot dead and one was arrested while two managed to escape after a dramatic shootout Friday morning in Jamia Nagar, a congested Muslim-dominated south Delhi neighbourhood.
Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal had Friday claimed at a press conference that information about the terrorists was gathered by the Delhi Police Special Cell, which has been constituted for anti-terrorist operations.
However, Delhi Police sources said the Special Cell had Thursday received inputs from Mumbai police that there might be some people at L-18 Batla House who can provide vital clues to the serial bomb blasts.
“The inputs did not specify that the men living there were terrorists. Based on the inputs, the Delhi Police decided to raid the premises,” an official said.
Last month, Mumbai police had arrested Bilal Kagzi, suspected of being involved with a sleeper module of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), from Pune.
“All of them were then brought to Mumbai and were handed over to the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Mumbai police for interrogation, during which they disclosed the hideouts of their associates in the national capital,” the official said.
“It was their tipoff about the Jamia hideout which was passed to Delhi cops for possible clues,” a Mumbai police officer told IANS on phone.
Acting on the tipoff, a Delhi Police Special Cell team headed by Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma raided the fourth floor flat. Sharma was shot thrice during the shootout and died later in hospital.