Thane Police pick up two dozen people connected with Mumbra girl
The Gujarat police claim to have provided all 'necessary' information to their counteraparts in Thane to establish Mumbra girl Ishrat Jahan Sheikh's links with the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Gujarat's Director General of Police A. K. Bhargava dismissed reports of "a strained relationship" between the police forces of his state and Maharashtra in the investigation into the terror link.
"The Maharashtra (Thane) police is perfectly cooperating with the Gujarat police, and vice versa. All necessary information is being shared to expose the terror links of the slain terrorists," Bhargava told this newspaper this morning.
Reiterating that Ishrat had definite links with terror operatives, DGP Bhargava said, "The lure of easy money had drawn her into the vicious terrorist network. Moreover, she had been actively participating in the plan since a long time."
Days before she came on the final mission, Ishrat had made several inspections of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's residence and had even stayed at an Ahmedabad hotel with her associate Javed as a married couple, said Bhargava. Javed was killed along with Ishrat in the encounter last week.
Meanwhile, the Thane police have stepped up its investigation to find out Ishrat's links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The police yesterday raided several places and detained over two dozen people who were remotely and directly connected with the Khalsa college student.
Those picked up for questioning also include the operator of the STD booth from where Ishrat used to make calls. Some of her close friends from college and the neighbourhood have also been summoned for questioning.
The Thane police is expected to
submit its report on Ishrat's links to the state home minister today.