London: A key 1993 Surat terror bombing
suspect, hunted by police worldwide for over 17 years, was
arrested from a north England grocery store and a city court
here will decide over his extradition to India.
49-year-old Mohammed Hanif Umerji Patel alias Tiger
Hanif was traced to the grocery store in Bolton by Scotland
Yard and later arrested from a house in Astley Street in
Halliwell on February 16, a spokesman of the Metropolitan
Police said Wednesday.
Tiger Hanif has been remanded in custody and will
appear at City of Westminister Magistrate Court on March 25
where the Indian government application for his extradition
will come up.
Hanif is wanted by the Indian authorities in
connection with a terror bombings in Surat in Gujarat which
killed an eight-year-old schoolgirl and left 12 others
wounded.
After the terror attack, Indian police issued a Red
Corner notice for him through Interpol, which activated a
worldwide hunt for the suspect.
The Met spokesman said: "Mohammed Hanif Umerji Patel -
also known as Tiger Hanif - was arrested on behalf of the
Indian authorities under an extradition warrant alleging
conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions."
Patel was found working as a greengrocer. However, his
family members denied he had been working at the grocery in
Daubhill.
Solicitors Stephen Lickrish and Associates, who are
representing Patel, declined to comment.
Former Gujarat minister Mohammed Surti was sentenced
to 20 years in jail in 2008 for his involvement in the 1993
twin Surat bombings.
The court found Surti guilty, along with 11 others,
in connection with the grenade blast near Surat railway
station.
The second blast happened near Sadhna School in
Varacha area of Surat, killing the eight-year-old.
The grenade blast rocked Surat after the deadly
Mumbai serial blasts in March in which more than 200 people
were killed.
PTI
