Pak national Waqas Saad is wanted in several blast cases across the country and had placed a bomb in Zaveri Bazaar in 2011.
Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Waqas Ibrahim Saad alias Ahmed, who planted a bomb in Zaveri Bazaar during the July 13, 2011, blasts in Mumbai, was among the four terrorists arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police from Rajasthan on Sunday. A Maharashtra ATS team would soon leave for Delhi to question Waqas. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a Rs10 lakh reward for information about him as he was wanted in several blast cases across the country.
The other three IM terrorists who were arrested are Mohammed Mahruf, 21, Mohammed Waqar Azhar, 21, and Shaquib Ansari. Mahruf and Azhar, who are studying engineering, were arrested from their homes in Jaipur whereas Ansari, who does some computer work, was nabbed in Jodhpur.
ATS sources said following an Intelligence Bureau report about the presence of IM module members in Jodhpur and Jaipur, the Delhi and Rajasthan police jointly carried out the operation for three days to nab the terrorists. The police said the group was planning a big strike during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and that they have recovered a large quantity of incriminating material from those arrested.
"One of the four people arrested is Waqas, who was one of the planters in the 13/7 serial blasts in Mumbai in 2011. He hails from the Punjab province of Pakistan and is an important catch. His arrest will be a major blow for the IM," Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria told dna on Sunday. Maria was supervising the 13/7 blasts case when he was heading the state ATS.
"We will soon send a team to Delhi to question Waqas," said inspector general of police, ATS, Niket Kaushik.
On August 10, 2011, Waqas took a three-month membership at the Gulabpuran Gawli Medical and Fitness Centre belonging to gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli's family at Dagdi Chawl in Byculla. He did not give his photograph while enrolling himself and wrote only his first name in the register. He mentioned Habib Building in Byculla where he stayed on rent with other planters, Asadullah Akhtar alias Tabrez (arrested) and Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu (wanted), as his address.
"Waqas is a fitness freak and had also joined a gym in Kumbharwada near Bhendi Bazaar in South Mumbai. He was computer-savvy and used to extensively visit cyber cafes too. It was Waqas who planted a bomb in Zaveri Bazaar in 2011," an ATS officer said.
In April 20, 2011, Waqas did a recce of the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors at the Wankhede Stadium. He was inside the stadium on a valid ticket and took a good look at the security measures taken by the police. He found the security to be very tight, police said. Similarly, two days later, Waqas and Asadullah did a recce of the outer periphery of the stadium while a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings was in progress. Wasqas also underwent treatment for malaria, earlier suspected to be dengue, at JJ Hospital before the 13/7 blasts.
IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, who is presently in custody of the Maharashtra ATS, had told the police that a week prior to the blasts, Waqas and Asadullah took a bus from Sion to Mangalore. "In Mangalore, they met a contact person of Riyaz Bhatkal near AJ Hospital, who handed them approximately 5kg of ammonium nitrate. They returned to the city the following day and also brought with them IED material such as batteries of 9mm bolt, Casio clocks, soldering machines, transistors and circuit material," the officer said.
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