JOIN USThe National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Dilsukhnagar twin blast has zeroed in on four Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror operatives – Yasin Bhatkal, Asadullah Aktar alias Tabrej, Waquer alias Ahmed and Tahsin alias Hasan.
In its preliminary report submitted to the Home ministry early this week, the agency has identified Tabrej in the CCTV footage at the blast site but the identification of the other three is said to be based on circumstantial evidence established during the month-long probe across the country.
America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been requested to study the CCTV footage to help in the identification of the other three.
The twin blasts killed in all 18 persons and injured over 100 persons including women and children. Six year old Anil from Nalgonda district who was injured along with his parents died in a private hospital early this week.
Investigators affirm that Yasin Bhatkal, Waquer and Hasan had camped in Hyderabad city at least six days ahead of the blast. The NIA collected their photo identification from the ATS (Anti Terrorist Section) of Mumbai intelligence and has distributed them to all field operatives.
Agency officials said they had distributed the photos and other data with Kolkatta police and border security forces along Bangladesh and Nepal to ensure that these IM operatives did not escape through those routes.
The NIA special task force is said have sent special teams to Samastipur in Bihar as Hasan alias Tahsin hailed from there and nabbed six of his associates as suspects.
Corroborating the findings after their questioning, the NIA teams said that Hasan was also part of the recce team along with Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan, which visited Hyderabad in July 2012 and identified seven to eight locations to carry out blasts.
Both Maqbool and Imran Khan arrested in connection with the German Bakery blast in Pune are currently lodged in Tihar Jail. They were brought by the NIA to Hyderabad last month.
The Centre had asked the Andhra Pradesh police to transfer the case to the NIA as the ramifications of the terrorist blast were linked to several other states.
While handing over the case, police DGP V Dinesh Reddy had said that the CCTV video footage at one of the cinema halls had clearly identified Tabrej. The identification of the others was not clear.
“We have sought the help of FBI to study the CCTV footage and identify the other three,” he said.