New Delhi:
Homegrown terror group Indian Mujahideen had plans to carry out attacks in Muzaffarnagar in retaliation to the widespread riots in UP. The information was found after checking the laptop of the group's alleged tech head Ajaz Sheikh, said sources in Delhi Police.
Sheikh was arrested on September 5 by the Delhi Police Special Cell from western Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur.
His laptop contained an email - purportedly written by alleged terrorist Mohsin Chaudhary and IM founder Riyaz Bhatkal -which provided the details of the plan.
As in the previous blast cases, the mail was to be sent via proxy servers after the attacks had been carried out.
Sheikh, who worked at a call center in Pune, allegedly helped IM operatives with fake identity cards and forged documents.
He is believed to be associated with the group since 2009 and was allegedly involved in several attacks including the Jama Masjid blast.
Ajaz's arrest is yet another setback to the IM which had seen several key arrests in the last two years.
In March, Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu, an alleged expert bomb maker, was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border. His arrest came days after another top IM operative, Zia Ur Rehman alias Waqas, was nabbed from Ajmer in Rajasthan along with three of his associates.
Yasin Bhatkal, who headed the India operations of IM and his key associate Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, were arrested from Indo-Nepal border last year.