He is also believed to have guided Faiyaz Ahmed Qazi of Aurangabad for the February 19 Ahmedabad railway station blast.
AHMEDABAD: Police officials in Ahmedabad believe that a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists headed by a person called Raheel from Mumbai has played an important role in orchestrating the Mumbai blasts. He is also believed to have guided Faiyaz Ahmed Qazi of Aurangabad for the February 19 Ahmedabad railway station blast.
The bomb, which was hidden in an unclaimed suitcase, was left in an A/C compartment on Ahmedabad-bound Karnavati Express leaving Mumbai Central at 1.40 pm, on February 19. After investigations, Ahmedabad police concluded that the blast was scheduled for Mumbai Central during the peak hour.
Raheel is a former activist of SIMI. Senior officials inform that though the Pakistan-based terrorist outfits plan and send their own team to implement them, SIMI's local centre plays an active role in providing infrastructure, shelter and local support to these terrorists. Another official in the crime branch claims that when RDX was seized in Aurangabad, the arrested terrorists had named Raheel as the key conspirator.
What is SIMI?
- Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was founded in Aligarh on April 25, 1977
- It was the student wing of the Jamat-e-Islami (Pakistan).
- Its activities initially was confined to Islamic indoctrination of Muslim youth, students
- During mid-90s, SIMI made an open appeal to save the Babri mosque.
- In 1999, it organised a conference in Kanpur where Bin Laden's posters were displayed, tapes of his speeches distributed.
- The slain leader of Hamas Sheikh Yasin gave fiery speeches and praised Laden and his "mission".
- A year later, UP was rocked by blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad, Kanpur said to be the handiwork of SIMI.
- During the late 90s, SIMI also spread its wings to Mumbai and Aurangabad.
- Most of its finances come from Maharashtra. The Centre banned SIMI on September 27, 2001 after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre.
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