Ahmedabad: Gujarat police would be
seeking custody of the two SIMI men arrested by Madhya Pradesh
ATS as they are accused in the 2008 serial blasts case, a top
senior police official said on Wednesday.
The accused, Mohammed Shafiq (31), Mohammed Yunus
(31), Sheikh Shazid (34), Arshad Khan (22), and Feroz Khan
(21), arrested today by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorist
Squad, were trained at terror camps organised by the banned
outfit in Waghamon and Halol, a senior police official said.
"We are in contact with the Madhya Pradesh police and
would be moving an application seeking their custody after
their (MP police) investigation is over," a top police
official said.
"Two persons Mohammad Yunus and Mohammad Shafique,
both from Ujjain, arrested by the MP police are involved in
the July 26, 2008, Ahmedabad serial blasts," Inspector General
of police (Law and Order) Ashish Bhatia said.
"The duo had attended the SIMI training camps in
Halol of Vadodara and Waghamon in Kerala and were involved in
serial blasts conspiracy," he said.
The serial blasts that rocked the city claimed lives
of 57 persons and injured over 200 others.
In all, 20 FIRs have been registered in connection
with the serial blast in various police stations of the city
and chargesheets have been filed in most of the cases.
According to the chargesheets filed in the serial
blasts case, Yunus and Shafique, along with six others from
Madhya Pradesh had attended SIMI training camp in Waghamon,
Kerala.
The chargesheets filed by the city crime branch stated
that Yunus and Shafique, along with other SIMI members from
MP, had arranged shelter for city serial blast mastermind
Abdus Subhan alias Tauqeer and two others Abdul Razzik and
Mujib Sheikh in Khandwa, Ranchi and Shivli.
The duo had also provided financial support to them
during their stay at various places, one of the chargesheets
stated.
The chargesheets further said that they acted as per
the conspiracy designed by one of the prime accused in city
serial blasts case Safdar Nagori.
Till date 54 persons have been arrested in connection
with the serial blasts, while over 35 persons are still
absconding which include masterminds behind the terror attacks
like Amir Raja Khan, Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal and
Abdus Subhan alias Tauqueer.
The chargesheets state that Bhatkal brothers on the
directions of Amir Raza Khan, were responsible for the serial
blasts in the city.
Raza Khan an alleged member of terror outfit HUJI,
belongs to Kolkata and is allegedly living in Karachi, while
Riyaz Bhatkal is alleged to be founder member of Indian
Mujahideen (IM) which was formed after SIMI was banned by the
government. IM has mostly ex-SIMI members.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 23:16