The Hindu : Front Page : Mumbai police arrest 5 Indian Mujahideen cadre

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Thursday, Sep 25, 2008
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Mumbai police arrest 5 Indian Mujahideen cadre

Rahi Gaikwad

Two among them are suspected co-founders of the terror outfit

Photo: Vivek Bendre

BREAKTHROUGH: Police produce alleged members of the Indian Mujahideen arrested on Tuesday at a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. —

Mumbai: The Mumbai police have arrested five suspected members of the Indian Mujahideen. While Afzal Mutalib Usmani (32) was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, Mohammed Saddik Shaikh (31), Mohammed Arif Shaikh (38), Mohammed Zakir Shaikh (28) and Mohammed Ansar Shaikh were apprehended from their Mumbai residences on Tuesday night.

All the accused are originally from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. All of them have worked with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Joint Commissioner (Crime), Mumbai, Rakesh Maria told journalists.

“They broke away from SIMI to form the radical group of Indian Mujahideen. Saddik, was one of the co-founders of the outfit along with Atiq, killed in the Delhi encounter, and Roshan Khan, who is yet to be traced. The police are on the lookout for Khan.”

The police have booked the arrested persons under the Explosives Act, Arms Act, various sections of the Indian Penal Code and for criminal conspiracy. They have taken custody of them till October 7.

Explosives, weapons recovered

The police have also recovered explosives and ammunition from them. They have retrieved 10 kg. of gelatin or ammonium nitrate, 15 detonators, eight kg. of ball bearings, four fully active electronic circuits, one sub-machine carbine, two .38 revolvers and 30 cartridges of 9 mm carbine and eight cartridges of .38 revolver, said Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor.

The source of the explosives and weapons is yet to be ascertained. However, the police presume it could be Karnataka, said Mr. Gafoor.

While the source of finance is also to be investigated, Mr. Gafoor said the “money was coming through the hawala route.”

Role in blasts

Mr. Maria described the role of the terrorists in the multiple blasts in the country since 2005, including the recent Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi blasts. He said the Indian Mujahideen was also involved in the case of an unexploded bomb at Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the blast at the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi, the blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park in Hyderabad, the Gorakhpur blasts in Lucknow and the 7/11 Mumbai blasts.

According to Mr. Maria, Afzal was responsible for the theft of the four motor vehicles from Navi Mumbai, which were used in the Ahmedabad blasts. He was also responsible for placing the explosive-laden vehicles at an Ahmedabad hospital and market place. Afzal was involved in a 1996 Shivaji Nagar (Mumbai) case of murder. He has nine cases against him including one under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime ACT (MCOCA).

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