By IANS,
New Delhi : A team of Delhi Police visiting Gujarat was Tuesday seeking custody of Ahmedabad blasts mastermind Mufti Abdul Bashir, suspecting him of holding “vital information” about Saturday’s blasts here.
“Bashir holds vital information about the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), its modules and sleeping cells in the capital as well as in various other parts of the country,” a top Delhi Police official told IANS here.
Bashir was nabbed from Azamgarh village of Uttar Pradesh last month and brought to Ahmedabad in connection with the July 26 blasts in the Gujarat city.
“During his interrogations he has told the Gujarat police officials that India Mujahideen’s would next target Delhi. We believe he holds vital information and our team in Ahmedabad is making all efforts to obtain Bashir’s custody,” the official added.
Bashir in his interrogation also mentioned the name of Mumbai-based software professional Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Taquir, who is now seen as the architect of the New Delhi serial blasts that has killed 24 people with many more still battling for life.
The police forces of Gujarat and Delhi along with sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau had joined hands to nab Tauqir, who is said to have sent the threat emails on behalf of Indian Mujahideen – believed to be an outshoot of SIMI – just before the Ahmedabad blasts and during the New Delhi blasts.
Mumbai’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) too has launched a hunt for Taquir.
During his interrogation, Bashir also spoke about SIMI leader Kayamuddin, who is from Vadodara.
Investigators believe that Tauqir, Kayamuddin and their three foot-soldiers identified as Alamzeb Afridi, Mujib Sheikh and Abdul Razzak Mansuri, all residents of Ahmedabad, were in the capital before the blasts.
The investigators said they were planning to bring Bashir to Delhi and take him to blasts sites and hideouts in the national capital region.
Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Tuesday sketches of the suspected bombers were still being prepared and they were hopeful of releasing them in the evening.
The police officers involved in the investigations said raids were on at various SIMI hideouts across the country. More than dozen people have been detained and were being interrogated at the office of the Special Cell of Delhi Police at Lodhi Road.
“We are working on some positive leads. But cannot share any information as it would hamper the investigations,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh.