No Delhi-Mumbai police rift: Centre
Union Home Secretary R K Singh on Tuesday denied any difference between the Delhi Police and their Mumbai counterpart on the July 13, 2011, Mumbai triple blast probe.
The clarification came a day after the Home Ministry criticised the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for a goof up in pursuing the case and arresting an “informer” as a terrorist.
The Home Ministry on Monday claimed that one of the arrested, Naqee Ahmed Sheikh of Darbhanga in Bihar, was in fact an informer who worked for Delhi Police and Intelligence Bureau (IB). A day after the Ministry took a U-turn.
"I am happy that the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has cracked the case,” Singh said. The home secretary also denied any rift between the Delhi police and the Mumbai ATS He praised Maharashtra's anti-terror force for cracking the case but admitted to the lack of co-ordination between the investigating agencies. The ministry had earlier taken to ATS chief Rakesh Maria to task for announcing the arrest of three alleged terrorists, including Naqee Ahmed Sheikh, reportedly involved in the bombings and thereby botched up a carefully worked out plan against the Indian Mujahideen terror group.
Family members of Sheikh claimed that he was a police informer but is being now punished for helping the Delhi police. The Home secretary admitted that Sheikh was an informer but said that didn't mean he won't have been involved in the terror strike. Lack of “coordination” among the IB, Mumbai police and CBI was evident in the past when the home ministry had goofed up in preparing “the Most Wanted list” by including “two wanted,” who were later found to be staying in India.
Running Operation
“It’s true that Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police were running an operation in which this person was the informer. But the fact that he was an informer in a particular operation in which he was supposed to lead these people to the location, is separate,” he said.
“The ATS has come to that conclusion after investigation,” he said about the claims that Sheikh had allegedly helped Indian Mujahideen mastermind Yasin Bhatkal set up the July 13, 2011, Mumbai triple blasts.
Reacting to the contradiction in the government approach to terror probe, the BJP alleged lack of political will by the government in tackling the terror.
