Did Riyaz Bhatkal help the terrorists?

The crime branch is trying to find out if Riyaz Bhatkal, the Indian Mujahideen (IM) leader, had helped the Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) terrorists.

Crime branch officers are also verifying if any of the 20 arrested members of IM had given any intelligence information to the terrorists.

Joint commission of police and chief of the Mumbai crime branch Rakesh Maria said the attacks could not have been carried out without local support.

“We are looking at various possibilities about who could have provided vital local support and intelligence. Bhatkal being a local person is known to have links with terror outfits,” he said.

Another important link, which the police feel could be vital, is Faheem Ansari. The Uttar Pradesh police had arrested Ansari, an alleged operative of the Students Islamic Movement of India, while he was trying to cross over to Nepal. At present he is in a jail in UP.

Ansari had told officers during interrogation that the LeT had sent him to Mumbai to do a recce of the Taj, Oberoi, CST, and Nariman House areas. “We will be seek his transit remand on Monday and try to get him to Mumbai by Tuesday or Wednesday,” Maria said.

The police are also trying to find out if the underworld was involved in helping out the terrorists.