Ghatkopar chawl blast accused held in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: An accused in the Ghatkopar chawl blast early this month was on Saturday arrested from the posh Aliganj area of the city by a joint team of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and Mumbai Police, a senior official said.

Manoj Kumar Singh was wanted in connection with the blast on May 2 at Mumbai's Sarang chawl, which killed one of the two persons making crude bombs there, STF Senior Superintendent of Police S K Bhagat said.

Singh was taken into custody this morning when he was going to meet his girl friend at Aliganj, Bhagat said adding, investigations revealed that while Ram Bharti, an associate of Singh, was killed in the explosion, and he fled the scene after the incident.

He also confessed to his involvement in several incidents of kidnapping and extortion, the SSP said adding, Singh was an "active member" of the gang of a Vietnam-based Indian mafia don and along with three associates, helped it to execute crimes in the country.

After his confession, he was formally arrested and taken to Mumbai, the SSP said.