Arrest of Fasih 'very important': Govt

Government today termed the arrest of suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Fasih Mohammad as a "very important catch", saying Saudi Arabia fully cooperated in his deportation to India.

"It was a very important catch. He was deported by Saudi Arabia," Union Home Secretary R K Singh told reporters here.

Giving the first official reaction after Fasih's arrest by Delhi Police at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, the Home Secretary said India had submitted "material evidence" against Fasih to Saudi Arabia to press its demand for deportation for his involvement in various terrorists acts in the country.

"He (Fasih) was deported after he had served a sentence there. Saudi Arabia cooperated with us," he said.

Singh said Indian officials were coordinating with Saudi Arabia for quite some time by providing documents to prove his Indian citizenship.

"Our officers were in touch with Saudi Arabia. That is how it happened," he said.

The Home Secretary said Saudi Arabia had never stated that Fasih would not be deported but it took some time.

Singh said Fasih was the "key facilitator" for 13 Indian Mujahideen terrorists who were arrested from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and a few other places late last year.

These IM activists were arrested in connection with the 2010 blast in Bangalore's Chinaswamy stadium and shoot out in front of Delhi's Jama Masjid.