Mumbai:
Three people have been arrested in the July 13, 2011, Mumbai triple blasts and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) claims it has put the pieces in the case together. But the mastermind, Yasin Bhatkal of the Indian Mujahideen, is still at large.
The ATS claims it has cracked the financial trail in the blasts case after visiting 18 states and studying footage from 180 CCTV cameras and now has three people allegedly involved in the case in custody, while three others, including Bhatkal, are still to be caught. ATS chief Rakesh Maria held a press conference today to give details on the progress of the case, "to quell rumours and negative talk about the police," he said. He said investigations were still on - a dedicated team of 40 police officers and 113 men was investigating the case..
Mr Maria said two men arrested, Naki Ahmed Wasi Ahmed Sheikh, 22, and Nadeem Akhtar, 23, both residents of Darbhanga in Bihar, had stolen scooters, one of which was used to plant a bomb at Zaveri Bazaar. They were arrested on January 12, he said. The triple blasts that rocked Mumbai on July 13 last year killed 27 people and injured over 130 in three different busy locations - Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and Dadar Kabooter khana - during rush hour.
Yasin Bhatkal and two other men, whom Mr Maria would only call A and B, are yet to be arrested. Mr Maria said Bhatkal had started the Darbhanga module in Bihar and indoctrinated youth there. Bhatkal is believed to have given Naki Ahmed Rs 1.5 lakh to assist him in the Mumbai plot, Mr Maria said. Bhatkal, he said, had called the other man arrested, Nadeem Akhtar, to Delhi to hand over a package for Naki Ahmed. This package had the explosives and detonators used in the Mumbai blasts, the top cop said.
Naki Ahmad is also accused of assisting Yasin Bhatkal get accommodation in Mumbai and for providing him with other logistics support.
Another man wanted in the case, Haroon Rashid Naik, was arrested in August last year in a counterfeit currency case and the ATS chief said he would seek his transfer for his alleged involvement in the financial aspects of the 13/7 Mumbai blasts.
Mr Maria rubbished reports that friction with the Delhi Police had allowed Bhatkal and the two other wanted men to remain at large. A Delhi Police team has been camping in Mumbai on the trail of Yasin Bhatkal, who is also the prime accused in the Delhi High Court blast last September and other major terror attacks.