Bhatkal man is terror kingpin

The terror module based in Bhatkal in Karnataka and led by Ahmad Siddi Bappa alias Shahrukh, who is presently operating under the name of Imran, was also allegedly responsible for  the Jama Masjid (New Delhi) shoot out and blast of 19th September 2010 and the Pune German Bakery blast of 13th February 2010.

This revelation was made by Delhi police on Wednesday after it claimed to have arrested six members of IM, including a Pakistani national over the last one week from different parts of the country and assistance from police forces of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Bihar.

“After the interrogation of six arrested accused, name of  Ahmad Siddi Bappa alias Imran has emerged as the mastermind behind all the three blasts. He was known by the name of Shahrukh in 2008 and was also involved in Delhi serial blast of September 13,” revealed ACP Sanjeev Yadav who is leading the investigation in these case.

Not many details about the Imran’s background are available, but according to Yadav, the IM operative’s fulltime occupation is terrorism. “He has been lucky to evade the police so far. But now we are not resting till we get him,” said the officer, when asked how Imran had struck terror at will and still managed to dodge the police.

The Delhi police statement said the six arrested terrorists have been identified as Qateel Siddique, Irshad Khan, Gauhar Aziz Khomani, Gayur Ahmad Jamali, Abdur Rehman and Pakistani national Mohammad Adil. Two AK-47 rifles along with 50 cartridges, one 9mm pistol and several quantities of explosives. Fake Indian Currency notes worth Rs 2 lakh and other incriminating materials have been recovered.

“The first to be arrested was Qateel Siddiqui, 27, from near Anand Vihar Bus Terminal in Delhi on Nov 22. Siddiqui revealed involvement of IM and Imran in the three cases, leading to the raids and arrest of the other accused in Darbhanga (Bihar) and Chennai,” said the Delhi police statement.

Four policemen and one private security guard were injured in the blast outside Chinnaswamy stadium before an IPL match on April 17, 2010. In the Jama Masjid shooting case, two Taiwanese tourists were shot by two motorcycle-riding gunmen. The explosion at German Bakery that shook placid Pune, killed 17 people and injured 60 others.