New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Delhi Police Wednesday claimed to have busted a major module of the homegrown Indian Mujahideen terror outfit by arresting six of its suspected activists, including a Pakistani national, for their alleged involvement in three attacks last year.
Two AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and some explosives have been recovered from these Indian Mujahideen suspects, arrested last week.
Confirming the arrests, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said police were probing their possible involvement in the Feb 13 Pune German Bakery blast, April 17 Chinnaswami Stadium blasts in Bangalore and the Sep 19 Jama Masjid shooting and blast in 2010.
‘Six suspected terrorists have been apprehended. One of them is a Pakistani… The investigation is still under way,’ Chidambaram told reporters here.
A Delhi Police spokesperson said 50 AK-47 cartridges, one 9mm pistol with 14 cartridges, five kilograms of explosives, five detonators, Rs.2 lakh in fake Indian currency notes, and some ‘incriminating materials’ have been recovered from the arrested men.
Mohammed Qateel Siddiqi, 27, of Darbhanga in Bihar was arrested in the capital Nov 22. He was allegedly carrying the pistol with live cartridges, two fake passports and Rs.2 lakh in fake Indian currency notes, police said.
A forged identity card of the National Cadet Corps and a fake driving licence in the name of Vivek Mishra were also recovered from him.
Siddiqi allegedly told police that he was working for Ahmad Siddi Bappa alias Asif Bhatkal of Karnataka, who headed the module.
Bappa is also known as Imran and is wanted for allegedly masterminding the Pune German Bakery bombing that killed 17 people.
Police said he recruited Siddiqi in the Indian Mujahideen in 2008.
Siddiqi’s interrogation led the police to arrest Gauhar Aziz Khomani, 31, of Darbhanga in Bihar from Delhi Nov 23.
Khomani, who was presently living in Delhi, was allegedly providing logistical and financial support to the module. He came to Delhi in 2007 and got in touch with Bappa and joined the Indian Mujahideen in 2008.
Searches were conducted in Madhubani of Bihar that led to the arrests of Gayur Ahmad Jamali, 21, and Mohammed Adhil alias Ajamal, 40, of Karachi in Pakistan.
The Pakistani national was at present residing in Madhubani, the spokesperson said. He came to India in August last year.
Two more members of the Indian Mujahideen, Mohammed Irshad Khan, 52, and Abdur Rahman, 19, were arrested on Nov 27 from Chennai.
Thet too are Bihar residents. But Khan had been living in Delhi and Rahman in Chennai.
Rahman met Bappa about four months ago when he joined the Indian Mujahideen. He used to provide hideouts and other support to the module members, according to police.
Police said Khan became a ‘close’ associate of Bappa after he joined the module in 2009.
‘All the members of the Indian Mujahideen terrorist module were subjected to intensive interrogation. Their interrogation revealed that this module is involved in the Pune blast, the Bangalore Chinnaswami Stadium blast and the Jama Masjid shootout and blast,’ the spokesperson said.
