IM suspects planned to bomb Delhi in 2012 with LeT: Police

Indian Mujahideen suspects Tehsin Akhtar alias Monu and Pakistani national Waqas alias Zia-ur-Rehman were planning to carry out blasts in Delhi in 2012 with the help of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Delhi Police Tuesday told a court here.

Seeking custody of the two operatives, police informed the court that during investigation it was revealed that LeT and IM cadres were coordinating through Pakistan and Saudi Arabia-based associates Zabiuddin alias Zabi, and specially through absconding terrorist Fayaz Kagzi, to carry out major strikes in various cities of India including Delhi.

Police said both the accused disclosed that on the direction of IM chief Riyaz Bhatkal and Kagzi, they were instructed to arrange logistics and material for blasts in Delhi.

They revealed that after carrying out serial blasts in Pune in August 2012, their next target was Delhi, police said.

The Pune module members began reaching Delhi to carry out blasts but had to abort the plan after some of them were arrested.

Police said that to unearth the entire conspiracy behind the Delhi plot and to verify the nexus between LeT and IM, questioning of the two operatives was required.

Giving priority to the Delhi Police remand application, the court handed over custody of Monu and Waqas to police for 20 days.

However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) countered the Delhi Police plea and sought custody of both the accused for the 2013 Dilsukhnagar blasts in Hyderabad, saying it should be given preference as per the NIA Act.

M.S. Khan, defence counsel of both the accused, opposed the Delhi Police application, saying there was no need of further police custody as already sufficient time has been granted to the special cell for completing the investigation.

Observing that it was Delhi Police who had arrested the accused, the court said that if at this stage the accused are handed over to the NIA, the whole investigation so far conducted by the special cell in the case would be affected.

Monu and Waqas were presented before the court after expiry of police custody in the 2011 illegal arms factory case.

The other accused in the case, Waqar Azhar, Mohammad Mahroof and Saquib Ansari, were sent to four days' police custody.