Cops claim cracking Mumbai blasts

Union Home Ministry contradicts Maharashtra police statement

The Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) has claimed to have solved last year’s Mumbai triple bomb blast case with the arrest of two key accused in Bihar’s Darbhanga district.

However, ATS chief Rakesh Maria admitted that the mastermind behind the attack, Indian Mujahideen Ahmed Abrar Siddiqui Baba alias Yasin Bhatkal, is still at large. A manhunt has been launched across the country to arrest him.
In New Delhi, home ministry officials, unwilling to be named, countered the ATS claim, clearly demonstrating that there had been no coordination among security agencies probing terror cases.

“We are baffled at the arrest of the 22-year-old Naqi Ahmed Vasi Ahmed Sheikh, who has in fact been helping Delhi Police special cell and the Intelligence Bureau. He was the person who provided crucial leads to Waqas and Tabrez, the two bombers in the 13/7 blast,” the officials said.

“Naqi Ahmed was in Mumbai to help track down the two bombers. It was a highly secret operation monitored by the nation's security top brass from the capital,” they added.

The investigating agency with subsidiary intelligence bureaus and national level bodies formed to keep a track on terrorist network have also been alerted in regard to two more accused who, detectives believe, planted bombs in Dadar (central Mumbai) and Zaveri Bazaar (south Mumbai) on July 13 evening.

Twenty-seven people were killed and 128 injured in the blasts that went off in three areas in Mumbai on July 13, 2011.

“As of now I can only call them 'A' and 'B'. Our investigations are at a crucial stage and we just cannot jeopardise the work which investigating agencies across the country are involved in. I can only say that we have definite information on these two suspects and through their arrests we should be able to wrap up our 13/7 blasts case,” Maria said.

In a packed and hurriedly held press meet, Maria rubbished reports in the local press last week that the ATS was fumbling to solve the case.

“Our team comprising 40 officers and 113 men scoured 18 states with local investigating agencies before zeroing in on Darbhanga.

The names of the two arrested on January 12 from Bihar are: Naqi Ahmed Wasi Sheikh (22) and Nadeem Akhtar Ashfaq Shaikh(23).”

In order to track down the “tainted monies trail,” used in the blasts the investigating agency has also sought a transfer warrant from a local court against one Haroon Rashid Naik (33) from the satellite sea-side town of Mumbra.

Naik, a counterfeit currency trafficker, was taken into custody in August last year.
While the money was routed through hawala, the total expenditure in executing the three blasts, investigators estimate, was around Rs 10 lakh.

Talking about Naqi and Nadeem, Maria said the former came in Bhatkal’s radar through the recruitment “module” he started in Darbhanga in 2008 to brainwash youngsters. “Naqi came under his spell and thereafter Nadeem was also roped in. After coming to Mumbai, Naqi in September 2010 first stayed in the congested locality of Antop Hill with Nadeem who later went to Delhi and brought along with him a cloth packet containing explosives and detonators.

These things he later handed over to Naqi along with Rs 1.5 lakh. Incidentally, both of them had also stolen two scooters for ferrying explosives.

“And strangely, during the arrest, we found them in possession of two stolen motorcycles.  After bringing in explosives into the city, Naqi assisted Bhatkal.

“Naqi paid a deposit and rental money for the apartment where we believe bombs were assembled. Our forensics are going through the clothes to identify DNA samples, computer disks, room traces for explosives and fingerprints.”

The two arrested were produced before a local court and remanded to ATS custody till February 2, 2012.