Author: Somit Sen
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 15, 2003
Anwar Ali, who taught Urdu on an
ad hoc basis at the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla. and was arrested
by the police on Sunday in connection with the March 13 Mulund blast, had
set up a pistol firing range at his residence at Kondwa in Pune, police
sources said.
The sources said the 45-year-old
Ali had been trained by the Lashkar-e-Toiba in the use of AK-56 rifles
and sophisticated pistols. "He had also set up a small module in Goa and
trained several youths in the use of firearms. We are trying to zero in
on this module," a police officer said.
The police claimed that Ali, who
was allegedly involved in providing shelter to Lashkar terrorists, was
also instrumental in chalking out the blast strategy at his residence three
months ago. "Several activists of the banned Simi (Students' Islamic Movement
of India) and Lashkar terrorists were present at the meeting at his Kondwa
residence," an officer said.
In a related development, two alleged
Simi activists suspected to have planted the bombs for the Ghatkopar and
Mulund blasts were arrested by the crime branch on Wednesday Muzammil Ansari
has been accused of planting a bomb in the Karjat-bound fast train on March
13 and Arif Panwala of planting the bomb that exploded on a BEST bus outside
Ghatkopar station on December 2.
Another person, identified as Mohammed
Nadeem. has also been arrested. The three have been booked under Pota.
Police commissioner R.S. Sharma
said the crime branch had succeeded in neutralising the Simi modules created
by the Lashkar to carry out several explosions in Mumbai. "In fact, we
have also solved a few other cases in which the blast accused were involved,"
he said.
Moor Sikander, who was arrested
from Malegaon on Tuesday, was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Khadim
Shoes owner Partho Roy Bur-man on July 25, 2001. Saquib Nachen, prime accused
in the Mulund blast, was reportedly involved in the murder of one Tariq
Gujar in Padgha-Borivli village near Bhiwandi in 2001.
Joint police commissioner (crime)
Satyapal Singh said a few Simi activists arrested in connection with the
Mulund blast were also involved in the murders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad
member Suresh Sherekar in Kalyan and Bajrang Dal activist Lalit Jain in
Bhiwandi some years ago.
In a raid at Padgha-Borivli on Tuesday
evening, a crime branch team under the supervision of assistant commissioner
Ramakant Padwal and senior inspector Praful Bhosle had recovered 250 crude
hand bombs, a Star pistol and two grenades from a well. While the hand
bombs were manufactured at a factory in Kuria, the grenades were smuggled
out of an ordnance factor}' near Pune, sources said. "Each grenade could
have caused high-intensity blasts," deputy police commissioner (crime)
Pradeep Sawant said.
Additional police commissioner Rakesh
Maria said the hand bombs were recovered wrapped in plastic bags and had
been thrown into the well after Nachen's arrest on April 10. "Each bomb
was filled with gunpowder and an explosive material. The Simi activists
used a small ampule containing sulphuric acid to detonate them," he said.
Senior inspector Nagesh Lohar said
Simi activists were planning to hurl the hand bombs at crowded places in
Mumbai, including beaches, buses and trains.
