Afzal Usmani: A master in vehicle stealing

Afzal Usmani, an Indian Mujahideen operative accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, has had a roller-coaster ride in the crime world.

Usmani started as a small-time thief in Kurla and Bandra areas of Mumbai, and then went on to become a master in stealing vehicles.

He then worked for the Mumbai underworld before being indoctrinated by Riyaz Bhatkal into joining the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). When Bhatkal formed the Indian Mujahideen (IM), Usmani joined him. The Mumbai crime branch arrested Usmani in September 2008 from Uttar Pradesh for his alleged involvement in the July 26, 2008, terror attacks in Ahmedabad and Surat.

Usmani had reportedly provided stolen cars to the members of IM and those cars were used to transport explosives to Gujarat for carrying out the explosions.

He had at least nine cases of attempt to murder and firing to his credit when the crime branch arrested him in 2008. The crime branch official had also called his younger brother Faiz Usmani for questioning at the Chembur unit but he died of cardiac arrest.

According to an officer from the Mumbai crime branch, Usmani started working for SIMI in 1996. After Bhatkal formed the IM, Usmani was given the contract of stealing vehicles to transport IM members to places where blasts were planned.

In September 2008, Usmani was the first person to be arrested by the Mumbai crime branch. It was Usmani’s arrest that later helped the Mumbai police bust the entire media cell of the terror outfit and resulted in the arrest of 21 IM members from Pune.

Usmani had allegedly stolen four motor vehicles from Navi Mumbai which were used in the blasts in Ahmedabad and Surat.

According to sources, Usmani did not sit quietly in Taloja jail and even indoctrinated two under-trials into joining the IM. These two were arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in July 2011.