Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Monday claimed to have cracked the July 13, 2011 Mumbai blasts case, in which 27 people were killed and over 130 others injured. Two people, Naqee Ahmed and Nadeem Mukhtar, have been arrested and Yasin Bhatkal, who commissioned the blast and two others involved are yet to be arrested.
The police claimed that the financial trail of the blasts has been fully uncovered. "A lot of stress and importance was given to trace the financial trail of these blasts," Maharashtra ATS chief Rakesh Maria said.
According to the Maharashtra ATS, 23-year old Naqee Ahmed and 22-year old Nadeem Mukhtar had stolen two scooters used in the blasts. Bhatkal reportedly gave Rs 1.5 lakh for the execution of the terror attack and provided the explosives for the blasts.
Naqi Ahmed Wasi Ahmed Sheikh (22) and Nadeem Akhtar Ashfaq Sheikh (23) were arrested on January 12 but the mastermind of the crime Yasin Bhatkal, a top Indian Mujahideen operative, and the planters of the IEDs used in the blasts are still evading arrest, Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria told reporters.
Maria said while Naqi came to Mumbai in September 2010,
Nadeem, his co-villager, from Bihar's Darbhanga district, was living in Antop
Hill area of the city.Naqi, according to Maria, came in touch with Ahmed Zarar
Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal alias Imran in 2008.He said Nadeem was called to
Delhi by Bhatkal and handed over a cloth packet containing the explosive and
detonators used in the blast that was handed over to Naqi.
Naqi, he said, was given Rs 1.5 lakh by Bhatkal as
commission for the crime in which at least Rs 10 lakh, received through hawala
channels, was used. He said Naqi and Nadeem had stolen two Activa scooters that
were used for carrying out the explosions. Two motorcycles also stolen by them
and kept for future use have also been recovered from Bihar.Rubbishing media
reports that Naqi was innocent and that he was being tortured in police
custody, Maria said he was aware of Bhatkal antecedents.
Naqi not only assisted Bhatkal in scouting for an apartment
in Habib Building in Byculla but also paid the money for accommodation, the ATS
chief said.
"Yasin Bhatkal was the main accused in this case (13/7
Mumbai blast), he started the Darbhanga module," ATS Chief Rakesh Maria
told reporters in the press conference in Mumbai.
Maria also said that transfer warrant was being sought from
court for 3rd accused, identified as Haroon Rashid, in 13/7 blast case.
"The wanted accused in the case is Yaseen Bhatkal. We
will release his sketches soon," he said.
Rakesh Maria also thanked the agencies in different states
who extended the willingness to help at every stage of the investigation.
"Our teams visited 18 states and a lead was obtained by
the ATS in last week of November," the ATS chief said.
The investigation was being conducted by teams of the Mumbai
Police, Maharashtra's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), National
Investigation Agency (NIA) and others, with support from the local security
agencies in several states.
Three blasts at close intervals, on July 13 last year,
shook the country's diamond and gold hubs - Opera House and Zaveri Bazar - and
a busy commercial area of Dadar, killing at least 27 people and leaving around
125 injured.
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