13/7 cracked, but big fish at large

Naqi and Nadeem, 13/7 blasts accused, being produced in a court

Indian Mujahideen Did It, Says ATS; 2 Facilitators From Bihar Arrested

Mateen Hafeez & S Ahmed Ali TNN

Mumbai: More than six months after three bombs killed 27 people and injured 137 others in Mumbai, the state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) announced on Monday that it had cracked the case. Two arrests have been made, while a third is expected in a few days. However, in a major disappointment, the arrests are only of the facilitators. The three main conspirators, mastermind Yasin Bhatkal and two bomb planters, have been named as wanted accused and are on the run. Those arrested are Naqi Ahmed, 22, and Nadeem Akhtar, 23, both originally from Darbhanga district in Bihar.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria said
the 13/7 blasts—at Zaveri Bazar, Opera House and Dadar—were the handiwork of the outlawed Indian Mujahideen (IM). Police said Rs 10 lakh was sent to India via Dubai and Nepal and it was used to fund the 13/7, Delhi High Court and Pune German Bakery blasts. In addition, the 13/7 conspirators also used fake currency to purchase cell phones, SIM cards and so on.

After the ATS held a press conference in Mumbai to say it had cracked the case, some TV channels said the Union home ministry was baffled by the announcement and was upset that it hadn’t been informed about the developments. There were also reports that the home ministry said the cops were trying to cover up a recent bungle. However, home ministry sources emphatically denied these claims.

Both Naqi and Nadeem were already in custody in a SIM card forgery case. A third man in custody, Mumbra resident Haroon Naik, 33, is expected to be arrested in the 13/7 case in a few days. Naik is in custody in a fake currency case and has been at Arthur Road jail since July 2011. “These accused facilitated, aided and abetted the July 13 blasts. We will take Naik into custody soon,” said ATS chief Rakesh Maria during the press briefing.

Police teams have been dispatched to various places to trace the wanted accused. Aside from IM founding member Bhatkal, the police showed the other two absconders as simply accused A and B. However, sources said they are most likely Waqqas and Tabrez, the two Pakistani nationals who both the Delhi police and Mumbai ATS were tracking at Habib Apartments, Byculla, till recently.

TERROR TRAIL: THE POLICE STORY
THE ATTACK July 13, 2011 | Three blasts at Zaveri Bazar (6.54PM), Opera House (6.55PM) and Dadar (7.06PM) kill 27, injure 137

THE OBJECTIVE
To strike a blow against the Indian economy

THE MONEY TRAIL
ATS said Rs 10 lakh was used to fund the Pune German Bakery, Delhi HC and 13/7 attacks. Money was forwarded from Dubai to Nepal to Bihar and finally to Mumbai

THE PROBE
Search spanned 18 states. 150 investigators from Mumbai, plus others in Delhi, Kolkata and Bihar interviewed over 12,300 witnesses

UNNAMED
Police have not named the Zaveri Bazar and Opera House bomb planters but sources say they are two Pakistanis named Waqqas and Tabrez

THE ARRESTED
NAQI AHMED VASI SHAIKH (22) Businessman from Darbhanga, with leather units in Delhi and Byculla. He and his brothers were detained on Jan 8. Naqi was booked in a SIM card forgery case. Cops say explosives for 13/7 sent through Naqi and that he stole one of the scooters in which a bomb was planted
NADEEM AKHTAR ASHFAQUE SHAIKH (23) Also from Darbhanga. Stayed at Antop Hill. Was arrested on Jan 12 in the same SIM card forgery case Naqi was booked in. Is also alleged to have ferried explosives to Mumbai, and stolen a scooter

IMMINENT ARREST
HAROON RASHID NAIK (33) A resident of Mumbra. Ran a cloth business in Kolkata and was arrested in a fake currency case last July. ATS says he went to Pakistan for arms training, wanted to avenge atrocities on Muslims

WANTED
YASIN BHATKAL (30) Founding member of IM. Brain behind several blasts in the country. Funded, organized 13/7 blasts. Supected to have planted the Dadar bomb

The Times of India, January 24, 2012