Man detained in Mumbai for alleged link to Varanasi blast let-off

A man who was detained from the Mumbai airport after an anonymous phone caller informed police that he could have a role in the December 7 Varanasi blast, was let off today, officials said.

Suhaib Nadim Siddique was picked up by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport yesterday after the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and city police informed airport authorities about the name of the person against whom a call was received, police said.

CISF and immigration authorities could not figure out the person but detained one Siddique whose name was similar to that mentioned by the caller.

Siddique, a resident of Thane district of Maharashtra, was intercepted and detained from the check-in counter when he was on his way to board a plane to the Gulf, police said.

Sources said the ATS was quick to inform its counterpart in Uttar Pradesh but seemed to have backtracked later when nothing was found against the detained person during preliminary questioning.

"He has been let off today. It has been found that he has nothing to do with the Varanasi blast. Siddique's profile did not match with that of the person wanted in the blast," deputy police commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary said.

The blast in Varanasi left two persons dead and scores injured.