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13/7 blast: ATS records statement of accused's brother

Taquee Ahmad was asked by the ATS to record his statement in second case related to the serial blasts in 13/7.

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Maharashtra ATS on Monday recorded the statement of Taquee Ahmad, brother of Naquee who was arrested and accused in the July 13 serial blasts case, for the second consecutive day.

Taquee appeared before the investigating officer of the blasts case at the ATS's south Mumbai office as he was asked by the ATS to record his statement in second case related to the serial blasts in 13/7.

The Supreme Court, while barring the ATS from arresting him, had asked Taquee to join the probe. The apex court has, however, granted Taquee relief from arrest until it heard a petition filed by him accusing the anti-terror force of fabricating the case and seeking CBI probe.

During the questioning, the ATS officials asked about the funding of their luggage shop in Jamia Nagar in New Delhi and who all had participated in the opening ceremony. The ATS claims that Yasin Bhatkal, one of the main accused, had participated in the function.

ATS officials continued Taquee's questioning today and inquired about his whereabouts before and after three blasts ripped at Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House in south Mumbai and at Dadar in central Mumbai on July 13, 2011. The blasts killed over 25 people and injured several others, the sources said.

Taquee's counsel Sanjay Khanna said his client was completely cooperating with probe agency but wondered why the ATS was hiding facts. "Initially the ATS claimed that he is required as witness in one case and now they are recording his statement in every case.

"We have no issues from recording as many as statements but let the ATS be clear as to what they want," Khanna, who is contesting the petition in Apex court, said.

This act of ATS Maharashtra shows the complete lack of coordination among its different units investigating the 13/7 blast cases, the counsel said.

ATS which was handed over probe into the blasts had in January claimed a breakthrough with the arrest of Naquee. According to ATS, banned Indian Mujahideen and its founder Yasin Bhatkal were behind the blasts.

Soon after his brother's arrest, Taquee had approached the Supreme Court seeking a fair and transparent probe by an independent agency and had claimed that the ATS was trying to implicate Naquee and himself.

The Supreme Court while granting him relief from arrest directed Taquee to appear before the ATS so as to enable them to record his statement. The direction was given after senior counsel Shekhar Naphade appearing for Maharashtra government argued that Taquee has been avoiding appearing before the ATS despite summons severed on him under section 160 of CrPC.

Taquee, in his petition, had sought CBI probe complaining that the ATS and the Delhi police had been subjecting him and his family members to harassment by foisting false cases on them.

The petitioner has sought inquiry against officials of ATS and Delhi police's Special Cell who "implicated" his brother in the case. According to the petition, Naquee was co-operating with the Special Cell of Delhi police, keeping in mind that the matter pertained to national security and maintenance of law and order of the country.

"The Special Cell persuaded Naquee to act as its informer to which he agreed. He was taken to Mumbai in order to identify the suspects in the bomb blast case. On January 9, Naquee told us that his work was done and he would be returning from Mumbai. However the next day we were informed that the ATS had arrested Naquee in a forgery case and was later shown as the prime accused in the 13/7 blasts case," the petition said.

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