A suspected LeT militant allegedly involved in the 2000 Red Fort attack was arrested in a joint operation of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the Gujarat ATS from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the Capital on Wednesday.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) M.M. Oberoi confirmed that Bilal Ahmad Kawa had been arrested following inputs of the Gujarat ATS. “The militant we have arrested travelled to Delhi from Srinagar in a flight. We are interrogating him to verify his antecedents and ascertain the purpose for which he came to Delhi,” said Mr. Oberoi.
Hawala money
Kawa is being interrogated at the Lodhi Colony office of the Special Cell.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwah said, “We arrested the suspect after it was confirmed that he was the same Bilal Ahmad Kawa we had been looking for in connection with the Red Fort terrorist shootout case.” He said that Kawa allegedly played a key role in funding the attack.
During the Red Fort attack probe, the Delhi Police had found that a total of ₹29.5 lakh hawala money was transferred through various bank accounts, including Standard Chartered and Grindlays Bank, in the name of Bilal Ahmad Kawa. Sources said the documents the suspect was travelling with had the same name. He was presently staying in Kashmir with his family and was visiting Delhi to meet a relative, the sources added.
On December 22, 2000, six terrorists stormed the Red Fort premises and opened indiscriminate fire on the guards of the Seventh Battalion of Rajputana Rifles, killing three persons, including a civilian. The Army personnel present at the fort retaliated but the terrorists managed to flee.
