Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 16, 2006
URL: http://cities.expressindia.com/archivefullstory.php?newsid=197020&creation_date=2006-08-16
Investigators probing July 11's serial blasts
are now looking for possible links between absconding Lashkar-e-Toiba operative
Raheel Abdul Rehman Sheikh, wanted in the Aurangabad arms haul case, and Mohammed
Najeeb Abdul Rasheed Bakali and Irfan Anjum Ali, arrested by the Crime Branch
on Monday.
Sources said they suspect that Najeeb and
Irfan-both SIMI activists-established contact with Raheel through Feroz Ghanswala,
who is close to Najeeb. Ghanswala, who is from Mahim, was arrested in New
Delhi on May 8 along with another operative, Ahmedabad-based Mohammed Ali
Chippa, by the Delhi Police's Special Cell. As much as 4.5 kg of RDX was seized
from them.
Investigations so far have revealed that Najeeb
and Irfan wanted to go to Pakistan for terrorist training.
On Monday night, Crime Branch officers searched
the residences of both SIMI activists at Mahim and Santacruz and recovered
incriminating documents and other jihadi literature, sources said.
During questioning, Najeeb told the police
that after his visit to Gujarat with Ghanswala before the riots, he had lost
contact with him for a while. When they reestablished contact, Ghanswala said
he wanted to ''join the jihad'' and had asked Najeeb if he could help.
''We are investigating Najeeb's role further
and are co-ordinating with other agencies, especially with the Delhi Police,''
said an official.
Ghanswala has told his interrogators in Delhi
that he had been recruited by Raheel, who had arranged for his travel to Bangladesh
and training at a Harkat-ul-Jihadi camp there.
Sources said that after Feroz Deshmukh-who
was arrested earlier this month for his alleged involvement in the Aurangabad
arms haul case-Najeeb is the second SIMI activist to be arrested who has had
links with the Islamic Research Foundation.
Police officers said the IRF is still not
under their scanner as ''it is an established and reputed institute involved
in genuine religious work'' and ''was used by some elements as a camouflage''.
