In a significant development in the 13/7 triple blasts case, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) sleuths on Wednesday arrested one Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Ejaz Shaikh from Delhi for his alleged role in it. The Delhi Police that had arrested Shaikh from Uttar Pradesh this September handed over his custody to state ATS.
Additional director general of police, ATS, Himanshu Roy said Shaikh, 27, a Pune resident, is the brother-in-law of top IM functionary Mohsin Chaudhary. "Shaikh was produced before the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court, which has granted us his custody for 14 days. We have reasons to believe he was involved in the 13/7 blasts," Roy added.
Police sources said after the Batla House encounter of 2008, when IM operatives were being arrested in various states in a pan-India police crackdown, Chaudhary had fled, along with Bhatkal brothers Riyaz and Iqbal and a few other IM members.
"Chaudhary and Riyaz asked Shaikh to stay back in India, they wanted to have someone from the outfit who was unexposed to other contacts back home and could be utilised at important times," said an officer.
Shaikh was told to master the use of computers and get tech-savvy. Already having a diploma in hardware networking, he upgraded his knowledge in information technology and simultaneously worked at a BPO firm in Pune to maintain his cover of a normal lifestyle, the police said.
On receipt of specific information, officers of the Special Cell of Delhi Police had apprehended Shaikh from Saharanpur railway station. However, they didn't claim then that he had any role in the 13/7 blasts, but said he had assisted Yasin Bhatkal in Pune's German Bakery blast.
As per the Delhi Police, it was Shaikh who had sent e-mails to media houses, claiming responsibility, under the signature of 'Al Arabi', of the Varanasi serial blasts and the Jama Masjid terror attack in 2010. Shaikh replaced Mansoor Ali Peerbhoy, who was heading IM's media cell and was arrested in 2008, due to his expertise in the use of Wi-Fi.
The ATS had earlier arrested Naqi Ahmed Wasi Ahmed Shaikh, Nadeem Akhtar Ashfaque Shaikh, Kawalnayan Pathreja, Haroon Rashid Naik, Mohammad Kafeel Ansari, Yasin Bhatkal, Asadullah Akhtar, Waqas Ahmed and Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu. Those still wanted in the case are Riyaz Bhatkal, Wasim alias Ibrahim, Muzaffar Kola and his nephew Ubaid.
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