Azamgarh:
Another key accused in the Delhi serial blasts - which left 30 dead and 100 injured in September 2008 - has been arrested in Azamgarh; the third man from the district to be arrested in the case.
Uttar Pradesh's anti-terror squad arrested 23-year-old Shahzad Ahmed from his village on Monday. He is charged with planting a bomb at the children's park near India Gate and another at Gaffar Market.
He is also reportedly one of the five militants that were holed up in Batla House on September 19, 2008, during a two-hour encounter with police. Two were killed, one was arrested; Shahzad fired at the police and escaped with co-accused Junaid.
Shahzad's arrest has reignited anger in Azamgarh, a place that resents being referred to as a nursery for terrorists. "Innocent men have been tainted since the Batla House encounter, their futures ruined, their families terrorized. They are all victims of the Congress' conspiracy," says Tahir Madani, President of the Ulema Council.
Incidentally, the arrest comes at a time when Congress leader Digvijay Singh, the party's In-Charge of Uttar Pradesh, is going to Azamgarh for two days to meet the families of alleged Indian Mujahideen activists and hear them out
The Ulema Council feels this is political tokenism, planned to keep the Muslim vote bank pacified. "No matter what, I am going," says Singh.
Meanwhile, Shahzad has told the Crime Branch that the Indian Mujahideen's next target after Delhi was Indore. "They were also planning to target technical institutes across the country," says Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal.
The police also say there could be many more arrests in Azamgarh, once Shahzad's interrogation in Delhi is complete.
Uttar Pradesh's anti-terror squad arrested 23-year-old Shahzad Ahmed from his village on Monday. He is charged with planting a bomb at the children's park near India Gate and another at Gaffar Market.
He is also reportedly one of the five militants that were holed up in Batla House on September 19, 2008, during a two-hour encounter with police. Two were killed, one was arrested; Shahzad fired at the police and escaped with co-accused Junaid.
Shahzad's arrest has reignited anger in Azamgarh, a place that resents being referred to as a nursery for terrorists. "Innocent men have been tainted since the Batla House encounter, their futures ruined, their families terrorized. They are all victims of the Congress' conspiracy," says Tahir Madani, President of the Ulema Council.
Incidentally, the arrest comes at a time when Congress leader Digvijay Singh, the party's In-Charge of Uttar Pradesh, is going to Azamgarh for two days to meet the families of alleged Indian Mujahideen activists and hear them out
The Ulema Council feels this is political tokenism, planned to keep the Muslim vote bank pacified. "No matter what, I am going," says Singh.
Meanwhile, Shahzad has told the Crime Branch that the Indian Mujahideen's next target after Delhi was Indore. "They were also planning to target technical institutes across the country," says Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal.
The police also say there could be many more arrests in Azamgarh, once Shahzad's interrogation in Delhi is complete.
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