After seven years in jail, arms haul accused gets bail

Javed Majeed

AURANGABAD CASE

 

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Monday granted bail to Javed Majeed, an accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case, after he spent seven years in jail. He was facing charges of parking an explosives-laden car in Malegaon. The car was driven from Aurangabad highway to Malegaon by the 26/11 handler, Abu Jundal. 

    Justice Abhay Thipsay delivered his order through video conferencing from a bench of the Bombay high court in Aurangabad. The matter was earlier argued before Thipsay while he was posted in Mumbai. He was later transferred to Aurangabad following which the order was delivered through video conferencing. Majeed, now 35, was directed furnish a surety of Rs 50,000 and to attend the court during the trial.  Majeed’s younger brother, Zahid, was earlier arrested in the 2006 Malegaon serial bomb blasts along with eight Muslim youths. Zahid is out on bail since the NIA has arrested a group of Hindu radicals for the blasts. 

    The Maharashtra ATS on May 9, 2006, had allegedly chased an explosive laden vehicle and arrested three persons. Later, 18 more arrests followed. Police had seized 43kg RDX, 16 AK-47 rifles, 3,200 live bullets and 50 hand grenades from various places. However, Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, who was driving another explosives-laden car, fled to Malegaon where he met some people and abandoned the vehicle there. Majeed and four others from Malegaon were facing charges of helping Jundal to park the vehicle at a safer place.
 

    The court also said that Majeed should not contact any witnesses in the case. The bail application, prepared by advocate Irfana Hamdani, was moved by advocates Shareef Shaikh and Shaid Nadeem Ansari.

The Times of India, October 22, 2013

Kagzi next on deportation list?

SEARCH ON FOR JUNDAL’S MENTOR

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: With the deportation of suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Fasih Mehmood to India, security agencies are now closely monitoring the movements of another key IM member, Fayyaz Kagzi. Sources in the security establishment say the Saudi government does not want any nuisance on its soil and hence is deporting all the suspects involved in criminal cases.

    Mehmood (28), an engineer by profession, was detained by the Al-Mabahith Al-Aammah,
Saudi Arabia’s internal intelligence agency, five months ago and was deported to India on October 22. “Many IM operatives seek shelter in Gulf countries on the pretext of going on a pilgrimage. Once they get there, though, they go into hiding and it becomes difficult to trace them. However, the Saudi government is cracking down on such persons now. The country does not want any trouble on its soil and hence is ousting all suspects,” said a senior police officer. 

    In June, the Saudi government deported LeT confidant and 26/11 plotter Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal.  Anti-social elements prefer hiding in Saudi since it is within Mecca limits and there is no chance of being caught by any one other than the Saudi police there. “So the accused pretend to be pilgrims and try to take advantage of this rule. However, a wanted person cannot dodge the Saudi police within these limits,” said a source.
    

Sources say after Mehmood’s deportation, Indian security agencies, with the help of the Saudi police, are monitoring the movements of another suspect, who the police believe could be Beed resident Fayyaz Kagzi, an accused in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. Kagzi’s name cropped up during the interrogation of two accused arrested this month for their alleged role in the August 1 serial bomb blasts in Pune. The two accused had told Delhi police’s special cell that they went to meet Kagzi in Saudi Arabia in 2010 and he asked them to help him.
 

    Police records mention that Kagzi was Jundal’s mentor. “It was Kagzi who introduced Jundal to banned outfit SIMI’s main members. In 2010, Jundal was in touch with Kagzi, but the latter has disappeared,” said sources. 

The Times of India, October 23, 2012

ATS gets Jundal’s custody in arms haul case

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Monday secured the custody of suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. He will be produced before a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Tuesday.
 

    Jundal was first arrested by the Delhi police on June 25 after he was deported from Saudi Arabia. On July 20, the Mumbai crime branch took Jundal into custody in the 26/ 11 terror attack case. Jundal is suspected to be one of the handlers of the 10 Pakistani terrorists involved in the 26/11 carnage and had had allegedly taught them Hindi. Last
week, Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab identified Jundal as his handler.
 

    Metropolitan magistrate P S Rathod awarded Jundal’s custody to the ATS a day after he recorded his confessional statement.
 

    In its Aruangabad arms haul case chargesheet, the ATS said one of its teams chased a Tata Sumo and an Indica on Chandawd-Manmad highway near Aurangabad on May 8, 2006 and arrested three suspects. The team seized 30kg RDX, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and 3,200 bullets from them. Later, the police seized 13kg RDX, six AK-47s, 50 hand grenades and two swords from other suspects. Those arrested reportedly told the police that the consignment was brought by Jundal, who had fled. The source of the arms and ammunition is still not known. Jundal will be questioned about it, said sources.
 

    Meanwhile, prison authorities on Monday moved an application in the magisterial court, saying it was not safe to keep Jundal in Byculla jail, where he is currently lodged, and sought court’s permission to move him to a more secure prison. The court has kept the matter pending as Jundal will be in ATS custody for some time. 

 
ATS CASES AGAINST ABU JUNDAL
2010 Nashik terror attack case | One person is arrested and Jundal is shown as a wanted accused for planning an attack on the Nashik police academy. Explosives are recovered from the arrested accused  

 

2010 German Bakery case | A bomb goes off inside Pune’s German Bakery, killing 17. Jundal is one of the wanted accused in the case
 

2006 Aurangabad arms haul case | The ATS arrests three suspects and seizes 30kg RDX, 10 AK-47s and 3,200 bullets. Later, the cops seize 13kg RDX, six AK-47s, 50 hand grenades and two swords from other suspects. Twenty-two people arrested in the case so far

The Times of India, August 14, 2012

Group for legal aid to 11/ 7 suspects

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: After securing bail for the 2006 Malegaon blasts suspects, a Malegaonbased group is planning to provide legal assistance to suspects in the 11/7 train blasts and the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul cases.

“We believe that those arrested in the arms haul case have been framed by the police,” said advocate Irfana Hamdani, one of the legal cell members of the Kul-Jamaati Tanzeem.

“Several 11/7 train blasts accused asked us to provide legal help,” he added. T h e g r o u p was formed in 2006 after the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) picked up seven youngsters from Malegaon for allegedly executing four bomb blasts in the powerloom town.

In May 2006, the Maharashtra ATS claimed to have seized RDX, 16 AK-47 rifles, 3,200 live cartridges, 50 grenades and other ammunition near Aurangabad, Malegaon and Ankai village. The police arrested 21 people and said they belonged to the outlawed SIMI.

Similarly, the ATS probe into the 11/7 train blasts caseisfacing questions.The ATS arrested 13 persons alleging they belonged to SIMI and plantedseven bombs in local trains on July 11, 2006. However, two years later the Mumbai crime branch claimed the Indian Mujahideen was behind the blasts and arrested 21 suspected members.

The Times of India, December 16, 2011

Aurangabad arms haul case: Trial resumes today

Mateen Hafeez I TNN

Mumbai: The trial in the Aurangabad arms haul case will resume on Tuesday, twoand-a-half years after it was stayed. The anti-terrorism squad (ATS), which had seized 43 kg of RDX, 50 hand grenades, 16 AK-47 rifles and 3,200 live bullets, disposed of the explosives at Ghatkopar Firing range on July 7, 2006. The trial will begin in the court of judge Y D Shinde.

The ATS, between May 8 and May 12, 2006, claimed to have seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from Chandaud, Aurangabad and various other places in the state. As many as 21 suspects are facing trial under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in this case.

ATS officials said that they destroyed the seized explosives only after taking permission from the court. “Officers of the ATS, bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and panchas were present and the entire exercise was conducted after taking all relevant court orders,’’ said Rakesh Maria, ATS chief.

The trials of this case as well as that of the 7/11 serial train blasts and the 2006 Malegaon blasts were stayed for two-and-a-half years after an accused challenged the constitutional validity of certain provisions of MCOCA. Zameer Latifur Rehman, an accused in the train blast case, had moved the Bombay high court contending that Section 2(e) of MCOCA, which deals with promoting insurgency, be struck down as the matter is covered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention (Amendment) Act. He said that Article 254 of the Constitution of India states that if there is any conflict between a state law and a central law, the latter will prevail. When the high court did not rule in his favour, Rehman appealed in the Supreme Court, which upheld the high court’s order. The apex court also directed that the trial in the case resume.

Gulzar Azmi, general secretary of Jamiat-ul-Uleama (the NGO has taken up cases of many accused in the arms haul case), in a press release stated that the Jamiat has nominated a group of advocates, including Sudeep Pasbhole, Perkash Shetti, Abdul Wahab Khan, R B Mokashi, Khalid Azmi, Denesh Patenkar and Amrish Solanke, to represent the accused.

Huge Catch
In May 2006, the ATS seized 43 kg of RDX, 50 hand grenades, 16 AK-47 rifles and 3,200 live bullets from Chandaud, Aurangabad and various other places in the state As many as 21 suspects are facing trial under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in this case The trial was stayed for twoand-a-half years after an accused challenged the constitutional validity of certain provisions of MCOCA The ATS disposed of the seized explosives on July 7, 2006

The Times of India, June 29, 2010

Kasab’s handlers trained LeT man

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: LeT operative Aslam Kashmiri had undergone training in Pakistan much before terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his nine partners were trained to carry out the November 26 terror attacks.

Kashmiri currently in the custody of the anti-terrorism squad of the city police underwent training in Pakistan’s Muridke in 2006. The handlers for him and the Kasab group were the same, the police said.

“I met Zarar Shah and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, (LeT operatives in Pakistan) during the training. They had come to oversee the training programme,’’ Kashmiri told the police. Shah and Lakhvi have been named wanted accused in the 26/11 attack.

However, the police is yet to establish if Kashmiri knew any of the 10 gunmen who terrorised Mumbai for three days. “We are questioning him and trying to establish his role in the arms haul case,’’ said ATS additional commissioner Sukhvinder Singh.

Kashmiri sent four youths to Pakistan’s training camp from Aurangabad and neighbouring cities, ATS chief Krish Pal Raghuvanshi said. The youth, said police, would be given a 21-day training in assembling bombs and operating fire arms.

The Delhi police claimed to have seized an Amritsarto-Nanded railway ticket, two packets of sweets containing chemical explosives, four detonators and two timers from Kashmiri. According to officials, Kashmiri was supposed to deliver these explosives to someone in Aurangabad.

‘They called me kaafir and fired at me’
Kamal Singh, a businessman who had entered Nariman House during the 26/11 terror strike and come face to face with two terrorists, deposed in court on Wednesday. Singh saw the two terrorists—Abu Akasha and Nasir alias Abu Umar—on the first floor; they called him kaafirand fired at him, Singh told special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. He ducked and managed to escape. Judge M L Tahaliyani also heard the testimony of another witness. The court has now finished examining 202 witnesses in the case. TNN

The Times of India, September 17, 2009

ATS obtains custody of LeT suspect

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: A New Delhi court on Friday allowed the Maharashtra ATS to take the custody of suspected LeT operative, Aslam Kashmiri. The ATS claimed Kashmiri was wanted in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.

Kashmiri alias Yusuf alias Saleem was arrested in Delhi who claimed to have seized timers, detonators and explosives kept in two sweet boxes. Chief metropolitan magistrate Kaveri Baweja asked the ATS to produce Kashmiri before a MCOCA court in Mumbai on or before September 15. Kashimir reportedly delivered arms and ammunition to another wanted, Zabihuddin Ansari.

The Times of India, September 12, 2009

ATS confirms LeT man’s links to 2006 arms haul

TERROR TRAIL: Yusuf alias Salim alias Aslam Kashmiri was arrested by New Delhi police on August 25, 2009 with two packets of sweets containing chemical explosives, 4 detonators and 2 timers

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: A two-member Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team that questioned arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Salim alias Yusuf alias Aslam Kashmiri confirmed that they had established his role in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case in Maharashtra.
The Mumbai Crime Branch said it would also question Aslam in connection with the 26/11 investigation.

The Aurangabad arms haul mastermind, Zabihuddin Ansari alias Zaby, had managed to escape when the ATS was on his trail three years ago. According to ATS officials, Aslam Kashmiri, who was suspected to have smuggled some weapons into India and delivered them to Zaby, could be the same accused who is wanted in an ATS case in Maharashtra.

Aslam, during his interrogation, said he underwent training in a Pakistani camp two years ago and had met banned outfit Jamat-ud-Dawa’s (JuD) top leaders, including Zarar Shah and Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi.

“We mentioned Aslam Kashmiri as a wanted accused in the arms haul charge sheet,’’ ATS chief and additional director-general of police Krish Pal Raghuvanshi said.

Aslam, who ATS officials said could be Aslam Kashmiri, was arrested in the capital by the New Delhi Police’s special cell on August 25. The special cell, Delhi’s anti-terror wing, claimed to have seized an Amritsar-to-Nanded railway ticket, two packets of sweets containing chemical explosives, four detonators and two timers from Aslam.

“It’s too early to say anything about his involvement in other cases,’’ said P N Aggrawal, joint commissioner of police, special cell. The special cell claimed that two of Aslam’s associates dodged the police and managed to escape on Tuesday.

“We are looking at all the angles to find out if Aslam could be brought to Mumbai for a detailed interrogation,’’ said ATS additional commissioner Param Bir Singh.

Mumbai Crime Branch’s joint commissioner Rakesh Maria said: “If he (Aslam) has met Zarar Shah and Lakhvi during his training in Pakistan, we will definitely question him as |the two Pakistanis are prime conspirators in our 26/11 case.’’

The Times of India, August 28, 2009

Arms haul accused offered poll ticket

Ex-MLA Wants Jailed Doc To Contest In Malegaon

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: Unani doctor Shareef, an accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case, will be fielded in the forthcoming corporation elections in Malegaon on a Janata Dal (secular) ticket, said former MLA from Malegaon, Nihal Ahmed, who has also served as a minister.

The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) arrested Shareef on May 12 along with four others from Malegaon and booked them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He is currently in jail.

Speaking to TOI, Nihal Ahmed said he had offered a ticket to Shareef and had spoken to his family about it. “I have spoken to them and they are thinking about it. These persons (accused) who are considered as harmful to society by the government can be used to uplift society,’’ he said and added that an accused could contest an election.

Shareef was arrested along with Riyaz Ramzan, alias Raju (36), Javed Ahmed (27), Mushtaque Ahmed (30) and Afzal Khan (29) after the ATS seized a huge consignment of arms and ammunition in Aurangabad and, later, in raids in Malegaon, seized 13 kg of RDX, five AK-47 assault rifles, 40 magazines, 1,000 bullets and five CPUs. Javed Ahmed’s elder brother, Zahid, a former SIMI member, is now in the “wanted list’’ of the ATS for his alleged involvement in the Malegaon blasts. Mushtaque’s brother, Ishtiyaque, has also been shown wanted in the remand paper in the case.

This is not the first time that Nihal Ahmed is planning to field a MCOCA accused in election. In the last corporation election, he had fielded MCOCA accused Abdul Aziz, alias Aziz Lallu. Lallu won with a huge margin.

While a section of Malegaon residents said that an accused contesting election was not against the Constitution especially when the candidate had not been convicted, many in the township felt that ahead of the election, Nihal Ahmed wanted to cash in on the sympathy for the arrested Malegaon blasts accused. Nihal Ahmed was Malegaon’s MLA for over 22 years. Residents said he did nothing for the constituency. He neither constructed any engineering or medical college nor came up with good policy for the over one lakh powerlooms in Malegaon, they said.

Some observers said that Nihal Ahmed’s latest gambit might be intended to blunt the threat from a new front formed in Malegaon a few months ago, which comprises educated people and Ulemas (clerics).

A major section of the educated in Malegaon supports the front. “The new front could play a key role in the election and could cause major problems for Nihal Ahmed’s party and, therefore, he is trying another trick,’’ a Malegaon resident said.

The Times of India, November 16, 2006

‘Busy’ ATS hasn’t filed chargesheet in arms haul cases

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), busy with the investigation into Terror Tuesday, has had no time to file chargesheets for the Malegaon and Aurangabad arms recovery cases.

The 90-day period, within which chargesheets have to be filed if the prosecution does not want the accused to get bail, gets over a week from now in the Aurangabad case. The Malegaon recovery came five days after that.

The police can still keep the accused in custody by filing an application for extension but that will have to explain why the chargesheets were not filed; it will also have to give reasons for its asking for an extension of custody and will have to hope that the court obliges.

The ATS, now busy with the blasts on seven trains on 11 July, has sent most of its teams out of Mumbai and has not been able to catch either the brain behind Terror Tuesday or the people who actually planted the bombs.

The prime suspect in the arms haul cases, Zabihuddin Ansari, who managed to give the slip to a police team on 9 May, was a close associate of Faisal Shaikh, an accused arrested in Terror Tuesday, officials said.

TOI tried to get in touch with ATS deputy inpsector-general Jai Jeet Singh throughout Tuesday but he was not available for comment.

With the police failing to file the chargesheets, some of the accused have already decided on how to give their careers a boost. A doctor now wants to study law so that he can defend himself in court, another wants to do his Master’s in Computer Science (MCS), a third wants to appear for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission examinations and a fourth wants to do higher studies in Islamic literature.

The doctor who wants to be a lawyer as well is Malegaon resident Shareef. Mohammad Imran, arrested from Beed, wants to do the two-year MCS course. The accused who wants to pursue Islamic studies is Aurangabad resident Mohammad Akif and the fourth prisoner, who wants to appear for the MPSC exam, does not want to be identified.

Shareef ’s defence lawyer, Shahid Azmi, said: “My client discussed with me his plan to continue his education while in judicial custody. I encouraged him since the time in jail should be spent on something constructive. It will
also help them in future. They told me they wanted to take admission in educational institutions from the jail itself.’’

Computer education is imparted at the Arthur Road prison but it is not a full-time bachelor’s or master’s course. So Imran will have to apply for a place in a government-recognised institution. The ATS, between 9 May and 14 May this year, seized 43 kg RDX, 3,250 live cartridges, 16 AK-47 assault rifles and 50 hand grenades from Aurangabad, Malegaon and Ankai. Sixteen people were arrested and sent to jail. The RDX used in the 1993 serial blasts amounted to only 27 kg.

The Times of India, August 2, 2006

Another terror suspect held

Khan has been remanded to police custody till July 10

Samad Khan May Have Been Conduit For Bangladesh Funds

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: The state anti-terrorism squad has arrested one more accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case, who is believed to have been the conduit for distribution of funds to the other suspects.

Samad Shamsher Khan (24) was picked up from Manmad railway station on Tuesday night. According to Krish Pal Raghuvanshi, inspector general, ATS, Khan was on their ‘wanted list’ ever since this case was registered. “On June 20, he went to Kolkata by train and later crossed the border and entered Bangladesh.’’

The ATS believes he was being used by the mastermind, Zabihuddin Ansari alias Zaby, to distribute money to the other accused to help them engineer terrorist attacks.

Khan, however, has told police that he had made contact with Zaby “to raise money and help reform boys from his hometown (Asif Nagar in Beed) who were being indoctrinated by self proclaimed jihadis.’’ Zaby who is said to be a computer engineer also belongs to Beed, from where the ATS have so far arrested six persons. Khan told police he had crossed over to Bangladesh with one Masood, who had landed in Beed after being trained in Pakistan.

The police believe he was in regular touch with Zaby over telephone and had gone into hiding after the seizure of arms in Aurangabad and the arrest of his accomplices. So far, the police have arrested 15 persons allegedly connected to the conspiracy and seized 43 kg RDX, 3,200 bullets, 16 AK-47s and 50 grenades.

Khan is believed to have crossed over from Bangladesh on the night of June 25 and reached Manmad on June 27 on the Howrah-Kurla (8030 Dn). “We had information he would be coming from Kolkata,’’ inspector Sunil Deshmukh of the ATS said.

Khan, a class X dropout who has a fabrication business, is the son of a driver with the state irrigation department. A father of a sixmonth-old boy, he has now been sent to police custody till July 10.

The Times of India, June 29, 2006

Pharmacist may lead cops to ringleader - AURANGABAD ARMS HAUL

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: A pharmacist from Beed is now the focus of a probe into the recent Aurangabad arms seizure following his surrender before a special court dealing with organised crime and terrorism.

Afroz Shahid Khan, 26, appeared in the city civil and sessions court building at Fort on Tuesday with his lawyer. On Wednesday, he was remanded to police custody till June 21. As one of the last few accused to be apprehended, the police expect Khan to throw light on all the missing links.

The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) had seized 16 AK-47 assault rifles, 43 kg RDX, 3,200 bullets and arrested 13 persons in raids across Aurangabad, Beed and Malegaon last month. Officers suspect Khan was among members of the group sent to Bangladesh for training in making bombs and using firearms. Said investigating officer Sunil Deshmukh, “Khan was the friend of prime suspect Zabihuddin who sent him to Bangladesh via Kolkata in April this year. But we are yet to determine whether Khan really went to Bangladesh.’’

Investigators have been trying to track Khan down since the first arrests took place on May 9. A special team visited his house in Beed a number of times. The ATS believes that he could provide links to Zabihuddin, the alleged mastermind. The police are working on the theory that Zabihuddin visited Pakistan for training and then began indoctrinating other youth.

Khan, who hails from Mazalgaon in Beed, ran a medical store. Sources alleged that Zabihuddin used to visit Khan’s store and spend hours with him. “Khan was not into smuggling of arms and the RDX. But we strongly suspect that he was involved in monetary transactions. We are still interrogating him on all the possible angles,’’ Deshmukh said. Khan is also accused of training others to use firearms.

Before surrendering in the special court, Khan met advocate Shahid Azmi, who is also the lawyer for two other accused in the same case. On Tuesday, he filed an application saying he had come to surrender because the police had been visiting his house and questioning his family, seeking to know his whereabouts. He sought protection during interrogation and wanted the court to instruct the police “not to harass his family’’. The MCOCA court has directed the ATS to ensure Khan’s safety while he is in its custody.

The Times of India, June 16, 2006

Two more held in Aurangabad arms haul case

Times News Network
Mumbai: A graduate and a postgraduate have been held in connection with the Aurangabad arms seizure case, taking the total number of arrests to 13.

The duo, identified as Khatib Imran Akil Ahmad (23) and Sheikh Waqar (23), are residents of Majalgaon in Beed district of Marathwada. They are suspected of being part of the alleged conspiracy to use Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) sleeper cells to store and transport arms and explosives, according to anti-terrorism squad (ATS) sources. While Ahmad holds an MSc in computer science, Waqar is a BEd. Two swords were recovered from Waqar by the ATS at the time of his arrest. Officials said that the police were still looking for six other suspects in the case, including Jasbir Ansari, said to be the mastermind of the conspiracy.

Ahmad and Waqar were produced in a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Thursday and sent to police custody till June 21.

ATS sources alleged that Ansari was the link to flow of arms and ammunition into the state from south India. They also did not rule out more seizures of weapons in the near future.
The total weapons seizure to date includes 16 AK-47 assault rifles, nearly 4,000 ammunition rounds, 43 kg RDX explosives and several magazines for guns.

ATS officials said although it was certain the arms and explosives were to be distributed for use in subversive acts, investigations were yet to shed light on the exact plans of the accused men.

LEARNED FOES
Of the arrested duo, one is an MSc in computer science and the other is a BEd. Two swords were recovered from the latter by the police

The Times of India, June 9, 2006

MCOCA charges slapped on 11

Mumbai: The state police on Wednesday invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against the 11 persons arrested in Malegaon and Aurangabad for stocking and transporting arms, additional commissioner of police V Lakshminarayan said.

This is the first case relating to terrorism where the police have applied sections of the stringent Act, a piece of legislation usually used to combat organised crime. Earlier, cases linked to terrorism were registered under the now repealed Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota). Invoking MCOCA would allow the state’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS) to seek police custody for a longer period as well as book more persons involved in the case, an officer said.

The accused were on Wednesday produced before a court and remanded to police custody till June 6.

According to a policeman, each of the accused had played a specific role. “One of them acted as a coordinator, one drove the car, another loaded consignments, some of them were involved in transporting it to other cities, and few helped other accused in concealing the consignments. It’s a clear case of organised crime and a fit case for MCOCA,’’ an officer said.

In the latest searches, the ATS raided the house of an advocate, Rafeeque Shaikh, in Chaleesgaon area, near Malegaon. But no objectionable material was found.

The Times of India, May 25, 2006

ATS unsure of student’s role

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The ATS has not been able to get much out of second-year B.Sc student Aakif Biyabani, the eleventh suspect in custody in the arms haul case, and is not sure how much he knows about the case.

Biyabani, officials say, has not said anything beyond admitting meeting Pakistani national Jatun alias Zuber along with Zabihuddin in Kathmandu in June last year. “He said he visited Nepal twice with Fayyaz and Zabihuddin but was unable to throw more light,’’ an official said. Officials believe Zabihuddin worked for Zuber. All three —Zuber, Zabihuddin and Fayyaz — are on the run.

The police may interrogate Mushirrudin Siddiqui, arrested this 30 January from the Kurla terminus, to get information about Lashkar-e-Taiba suspect Zuber. Siddiqui visited Pakistan in March 2003 for a 22-day training and also went to Nepal.

Officials say Zuber met Zabihuddin, Fayyaz and Biyabani at a five-star hotel in Kathmandu last year. “Biyababni insists he knows nothing about the conversation between Zuber and the others,’’ an official said.

The Times of India, May 23, 2006

Student held for links with terror outfit

Times News Network
Mumbai/Aurangabad: The anti-terrorist squad of the state police picked up a college student, an alleged Lashkare-Taiba sympathiser, from Aurangabad in the arms seizure case. The accused, Akif Biyabani, was charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

A Mumbai court remanded him to police custody till May 24. He is the eleventh person to be arrested in the case. A huge haul of 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47s and 3,200 live rounds were seized in raids in Aurangabad and Malegaon over the past fortnight.

The police said Biyabani, a second year BSc student, was an associate of prime suspect Zaibuddin Ansari and had visited Nepal last year to meet LeT operatives. Ansari, a Beed resident, is absconding. “Biyabani was linked with the accused,’’ ATS inspector general K P Raghuvanshi told media persons on Sunday.

A resident of Ganesh Colony in Aurangabad, Biyabani ran a hardware business in the same locality and is said to be a friend of Amer Shakeel Ahmed who was arrested on May 9 at the Ellora Ghat, about 25 km from Aurangabad.

Earlier, the ATS had arrested Bilal Razzaq (29) on May 16 from Buddilane in the old city. It is learnt that Amer and others arrested earlier had named Biyabani. Sources said Biyabani was picked up by the ATS after keeping an eye on him for three days.

The Times of India, May 22, 2006

Suspects tracked for 5 yrs

ARMS CATCH: The Anti-Terrorist Squad and Intelligence Bureau recovered 43 kg of RDX from 10 persons in the state last week

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Malegaon: The suspected terrorists who were recently arrested in Malegaon for possessing and transporting arms and ammunition had been on the police watch-list for the past five years.

One of the accused, Riyaz Ramzan alias Raju (36), was in fact under the scanner after he raised anti-American slogans during a rally in October 2001. According to the Malegaon police, Raju and another accused, Javed Abdul Majeed, played a prominent role in the rally. While Raju carried a picture of Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden, Javed carried a placard that read ‘Osama Zindabad, Hum Tumhare Saath Hain’.

“From then on the local crime branch and officials of the state intelligence department (SID) started keeping a watch on their activities,’’ a police official said

Investigators said the accused were part of a conspiracy hatched by an “outside’ terrorist outfit. Three others arrested in the case are Dr Shareef Shabbir, Afzal Khan and Mustaque Ahmed.

Abdullah Shaikh, owner of the electronics shop from where the arms were seized, is currently being questioned by the police. “Shaikh had opened one of the five CPUs and saw AK-47s kept in the box. However, he did not inform the police and acted as if he was unaware of it,’’ a senior officer said.

Sources said that in 2005, Raju formed an NGO called Khair-e-Ummat. While Raju was president of this group, Shareef was appointed vicepresident.

However, Khair-e-Ummat followed the ideology of the banned organisation, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the police said.

“The NGO also conducted a seminar last August where speakers announced said that jihad was the only solution for the survival of Muslims in the country. On many occasions, the accused said he wanted to go to Kashmir for training to fight against the Indian government,’’ the police said.

“They would distribute pamphlets outside mosques after Friday prayers and try to indoctrinate youth by showing them photos of atrocities on the Muslims. For them, Khilafat (an Islamic government with one leader) was the only way through which Muslims could stop the alleged atrocities on the community. The accused would identify Muslim youth in the city and befriend them.

Later, they would take the sympathisers to the SIMI office and show them banned videos containing visuals of over eight to 10 communal riots across the country,’’ said a police officer.

Sources said that Javed had even tried to stop his friends from casting their votes in the 2004 assembly elections saying that supporting a non-Islamic government was gunaah (sin).

Thackeray Sr may have been target
Mumbai: Was Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray among the VIPs being targetted by the Lashkar-e-Taiba? On Wednesday, Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ claimed that Thackeray’s photo was found from one of the suspected operatives arrested by the police in connection with the arms seizure at Aurangabad. Police sources said Thackeray has been on the hitlist of terrorist outfits for the past several years. He has been provided with VIP security with armed policemen guarding his bungalow Matoshree in Bandra (east) from all sides. However, after the Aurangabad incident, security at Matoshree has been stepped up. TNN

The Times of India, May 18, 2006

State to get two more anti-terrorism squads

Mumbai: On the basis of intelligence reports that homegrown terrorist modules are having increased contact with international groups, the state government has decided to set up two more Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) units—one in the second capital of the state, Nagpur, and the other in politically sensitive Aurangabad to help keep an eye on rural Maharashtra.

Confirming this development, deputy chief minister R R Patil said that the ATS has been asked to investigate a possible link between a blast in Parbhani, which took place a few months ago, and an explosion in Nanded, which took place two weeks ago.

The home department is of the view that the RDX recovered recently from a vehicle near Malegaon originated in the southern part of the country. But there is no confirmation about the source of the explosives being taken through Maharashtra, allegedly for use in Gujarat. Patil also announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for the villagers of Verul, near Aurangabad, who helped the police track the terrorists and seize explosives.

The Trail
It all started with the gunning down of an LeT terrorist in Delhi on May 8. A day later, the anti-terrorist squad apprehended three suspected operatives along with a huge cache of arms near Aurangabad. There has been no let up since with more seizures and arrests from several corners of the state

Monday, May 8, Delhi An LeT terrorist Abu Hamza killed, two (Feroze Abdul Latif Ghaswala and Mohammed Ali Chippa) arrested.
Tuesday, May 9, Aurangabad Three suspected LeT operatives (Ameer Shakeel Shaikh, Mohammed Muzaffar Tanvir and Sayyed Zuber Anwar) held after a hot chase. They were travelling in a Sumo jeep which they deserted. Another three men managed to escape in a Tata Indica.
Friday, May 12, Malegaon Indica found abandoned near Malegaon, off the Mumbai-Agra highway, without a number plate. Driver of Tata Sumo Abdul Aziz alias Raja held.
Saturday, May 13, Manmad Anti-Terrorist Squad arrests five people, on the lookout for main suspect Jabeer Ansari.
Monday, May 15, Malegaon Electronics shop owner Abdul Gani Osman Gani arrested

The Times of India, May 17, 2006

State to get two more anti-terrorism squads

Mumbai: On the basis of intelligence reports that homegrown terrorist modules are having increased contact with international groups, the state government has decided to set up two more Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) units—one in the second capital of the state, Nagpur, and the other in politically sensitive Aurangabad to help keep an eye on rural Maharashtra.

Confirming this development, deputy chief minister R R Patil said that the ATS has been asked to investigate a possible link between a blast in Parbhani, which took place a few months ago, and an explosion in Nanded, which took place two weeks ago.

The home department is of the view that the RDX recovered recently from a vehicle near Malegaon originated in the southern part of the country. But there is no confirmation about the source of the explosives being taken through Maharashtra, allegedly for use in Gujarat. Patil also announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for the villagers of Verul, near Aurangabad, who helped the police track the terrorists and seize explosives.

The Trail
It all started with the gunning down of an LeT terrorist in Delhi on May 8. A day later, the anti-terrorist squad apprehended three suspected operatives along with a huge cache of arms near Aurangabad. There has been no let up since with more seizures and arrests from several corners of the state

Monday, May 8, Delhi An LeT terrorist Abu Hamza killed, two (Feroze Abdul Latif Ghaswala and Mohammed Ali Chippa) arrested.
Tuesday, May 9, Aurangabad Three suspected LeT operatives (Ameer Shakeel Shaikh, Mohammed Muzaffar Tanvir and Sayyed Zuber Anwar) held after a hot chase. They were travelling in a Sumo jeep which they deserted. Another three men managed to escape in a Tata Indica.
Friday, May 12, Malegaon Indica found abandoned near Malegaon, off the Mumbai-Agra highway, without a number plate. Driver of Tata Sumo Abdul Aziz alias Raja held.
Saturday, May 13, Manmad Anti-Terrorist Squad arrests five people, on the lookout for main suspect Jabeer Ansari.
Monday, May 15, Malegaon Electronics shop owner Abdul Gani Osman Gani arrested

The Times of India, May 17, 2006

One more suspect held in arms case

Over the last 8 days, the police have seized 43 kg of RDX in state—6 kg more than what was used in the 1993 blasts

Syed Rizwanellah | TNN

Aurangabad: One more terrorism suspect was picked up in Aurangabad on Tuesday by the antiterrorism squad (ATS) from Mumbai in connection with the recent haul of arms, ammunition and RDX near Aurangabad and Malegaon, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 10.

The ATS arrested Billal Abdulrazzaq Ansari, reportedly a close friend of the main absconding accused, Jabeer alias Zainuddin Ansari.

Police said that during questioning in Mumbai, one of the arrested men, Amir Shakeel Shaikh, named friends in Aurangabad, following which ATS personnel in Aurangabad sought the help of the City Chowk police and visited Bilal, a calligrapher and silk screen printer.

The local cops posed as customers who wanted some cards printed and, in a friendly manner, asked him about Amir. Bilal told them that Amir was his close friend and had been caught by police while handling “samaan’’.

Alarmed by words like ‘samaan’ and his behaviour, the policemen led Billal to the City Chowk police station.

Later, during a search of his house, the police found pictures of Amir there. Following questioning by ATS men, Billal reportedly spilled the beans and narrated whatever events he knew. Assistant commissioner of police (ATS) Dattatreya Dhavale declined to comment on the matter.

Billal is a former employee of a newspaper in Aurangabad, but originally belongs to Malegaon. He was reportedly staying as a paying guest with the homoepathic doctor Shareef Shabbir (33), another person arrested in the case, in Aurangabad a decade ago. Police are yet to establish the doctor’s role.
Another four to five youths, including Shaikh Mujahed Shaikh Ismail (30), who owns a laundry in Aurangabad, have been picked up by the ATS.

Aside from Billal, Amir and Dr Shareef, the police have arrested Sayyed Zuber Anwar, Muzaffir Tanvir, Abdul Azim alias Raja, Afzal Khan, Mushtaque Ahmed, Riyaz Ahmed alias Raju and Javed Ahmed.

Police believe that the arrested men were mostly used as carriers of the explosives by Jabeer. Jabeer is basically from Beed has been absconding since May 9, when the first arrests and arms seizure were made.
(With inputs from Mateen Hafeez in Malegaon & S Ahmed Ali in Mumbai)