Author: Binoo Nair
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: January 27, 2003
URL: http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/january/42784.htm
One more person was deported from
Dubai last night and taken into custody by the Mumbai police in connection
with the Ghatkopar bomb blast on December 2.
Mohammad Altaf was brought to Sahar
airport via an Air-India flight which landed at 12.35 am. He was immediately
transferred to the custody of the city Crime Branch (Unit VIII). A senior
police officer said Qureshi is a software professional from Parbhani district,
Maharashtra.
Ambadas Pote, an assistant commissioner
of police at Kandivili, said Altaf's name had come up during the interrogation
of Imran Rehman Khan, who had earlier been deported from Dubai in connection
with the blast.
Wearing brown pants and a white
shirt, Altaf was taken out of the airport in burkha at around 2.35 am and
driven away in a police Gypsy. He is expected to be brought before the
special court hearing cases under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)
at 2.45 pm today.
Four people are already in custody
for the bomb blast outside Ghatkopar Railway Station, in which two people
died and about 30 injured. The four are Khan, Mohammed Abdul Matim Abdul
Basit, Shaikh Mohammed Muzzamil Jamil Ahmed and Jahir Ahmed Bashir Ahmed
Shaikh. They are in judicial custody till January 31.
Another accused who was arrested,
Sayyed Khwaja Yunus Sayeed Khwaja Ayub, reportedly escaped from the police
on January 7 while being taken from Mumbai to Aurangabad for questioning.
Judge A P Bhangale of the special court is expected to begin an inquiry
into the reported escape today.
PTI adds: Altaf is allegedly a key
figure behind the Ghatkopar blast and an alleged activist of the banned
outfit, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Altaf allegedly supplied explosives
and funds to those who triggered the blast in the BEST bus.
He was escorted to Mumbai by officials
of Central security agencies. On arrival, Altaf was interrogated by Central
agencies as well as the Mumbai police for several hours.