Suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Salman Ahmed, who was arrested in Uttar Pradesh for his alleged involvement in several bomb blasts, was on Sunday brought here and produced before a court which sent him to eight-day police custody.
Ahmed, who was arrested on Saturday by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Uttar Pradesh Police from Siddarth Nagar, about 300 kilometers from Lucknow, was brought to the Capital by a Special Cell team after obtaining transit remand.
The 21-year-old who is an accused in the 2008 serial blasts in Delhi was produced before Duty Magistrate Ajay Garg who sent him to police custody till March 15. Police sought 10 days custody for interrogating Ahmed in order to unearth the Indian Mujahideen network, which has been involved in a series of blasts across the country. The court, however, granted only eight days for custodial interrogation.
Police claimed they have recovered a Nepali passport obtained under a fake name and an international SIM card from Ahmed’s possession.
After his name cropped up in the blast cases, police claimed, he moved to Nepal, where he allegedly got the passport issued in June 2009. With the help of the passport, which was issued in the name of Mohd Fahad Ansari, the IM operative travelled to Pakistan and other countries.
Ahmed is believed to have gone to Pakistan in December last year and returned to Nepal in January last. Ahmed was allegedly involved in the 2007 Gorakhpur serial blasts, Varanasi court blasts and Ahmedabad serial blasts in 2008, besides the Delhi terror strike.
Ahmed alias Chottu, who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, hails from Sanjarpur in Azamgarh. Police claim that he is an expert in carrying out blasts.
He is also alleged to have received training in handling weapons and explosives during his stay in Pakistan.
Ahmed had enrolled in BCA course at Lucknow campus of a private university in 2008 but completed only first year.
During interrogation, police claimed, Ahmed admitted he was an active member of IM and was in regular touch with other members of the organisation. He also admitted to his involvement in several blasts in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and Rajasthan.
A team of ATS-Rajasthan will also interrogate Ahmed in connection with the May 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blasts that left 70 people dead and 186 others injured.
