ATS probe reveals absconding accused were in Afghanistan, trail might lead to Syria
Investigative agencies and anti-terror squad of Rajasthan police are probing the possibility of elusive accused of 2008 Jaipur serial blasts having joined ISIS ranks fighting in Syria.
According to sources, prolonged investigations into the activities of four wanted accused in Jaipur serial blasts, including Bada Sajid, Mohd Khalid, Mirza Shadab Beg and Ariz alias Junaid, all seminal part of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), have revealed that they had formed another group Ansar-ul-Tauheed in Pakistan and had joined the Al Qaeda ranks in Afghanistan last year.
The anti-terror agencies are now probing a trail which is leading to the possibility of these men, most of them from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, having travelled to Syria to be part of the ISIS.
According to Rajasthan ATS DIG BL Meena, sustained investigations into the 2008 Jaipur blasts and grilling of IM operatives arrested in 2014, led the sleuths to Internet chat records, which showed that all four youths who planted bombs in Jaipur in 2008 along with Atif Ameen, later fled to Pakistan and worked with Bhatkal brothers Riyaz and Iqbal.
Later, the four IM terrorists along with other ultras broke away from the IM ranks and formed another small outfit Ansar-ul-Tauheed, before shifting to Afghanistan. A video of Al Qaeda's terror acts in Afghanistan six months ago, revealed links of the four Jaipur serial blasts fugitives having joined Qaeda's ranks in Afghanistan, Meena added.
According to sources, now the possibility of the IM fugitives having travelled to Syria and fighting for ISIS is being probed as the trail so far is heading in that direction.
Sources also confirmed that efforts are underway to bring jailbird and IM co-founder, Yasin Bhatkal, from Telangana jail on production warrant to Rajasthan to quiz him in connection with the 2008 serial blasts in the Pink City.
Investigations into the serial blasts, hitherto have established that it was Yasin Bhatkal only who supplied the explosives and IEDs to the group of IM bombers, including Salman, Saif, Shahbaz, Ariz alias Junaid, Bada Sajid, Mohd Khalid and Mirza Shadab Beg to trigger the nine blasts in different parts of Jaipur on May 13, 2008. The blasts killed over 60 persons and left over 215 injured.
Questioning of the members of the IM module busted in Rajasthan in March 2014 have also revealed that Yasin Bhatkal's point man from Pakistan Zia-Ur-Rehman alias Waqas (who was arrested from outside Ajmer railway station) was working to build an IM module in cities like Jodhpur, Ajmer and Jaipur.
It was during the questioning of Waqas and his other aides, including Mohd Mahruf and Mohammad Waqar Azhar alias Haneef were in touch with the four Jaipur blasts fugitives over the internet.
Terror trail
Investigations into the Jaipur blasts and grilling of IM operatives held in 2014, led the sleuths to Internet chat records
Four youths who planted bombs with Atif Ameen, later fled to Pakistan and worked with Bhatkal brothers Riyaz and Iqbal
They broke away from IM and formed Ansar-ul-Tauheed, before shifting to Afghanistan. They could now be in Syria quizzing Bhatkal
Efforts are underway to bring IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal from Telangana jail to Rajasthan to quiz him on 2008 serial blasts.
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