Author: Excelsior Special Correspondent
Publication: Daily Excelsior
Date: September 6, 2003
URL: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/03sep06/news.htm#8
A 5-member team of the Detection
of Crime Branch (DCB) of Gujarat Police, headed by Deputy Commissioner
Police, Crime Branch, Ahmedabad Mr Banjara reached here today to interrogate
one Chand Khan of Bareilly. Shan Mian alias Chand Khan has already divulged
to Jammu & Kashmir Police how he and two Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba
planned a terrorist strike for Gujarat and went all the way to Ahmedabad
to carry out the same.
Chand Khan has been recently arrested
by J&K Police which has also seized two Ambassador cars which had been
specially fabricated and used in Lashkar-e-Toiba's fidayeen strike on Akshardham
temple in Ahmedabad on September 24 last year.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that immediately
after the arrival, the Gujarat Police team reached headquarters of SOG
Srinagar where it interrogated Chand Khan for about two hours. Senior J&K
Police officials, including IGP Kashmir Zone K Rajendra Kumar was present
during Chand Khan's interrogation.
The Gujarat Police has decided to
thoroughly interrogate Chand Khan and check the veracity of his revelations
from "other sources as well". Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, K R Kaushak,
had claimed on Friday last that the Akshardham plan had been hatched up
in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and "discussed" in Hyderabad. He had named five
south Indian Muslims as the conspirators of the terrorist strike and claimed
that the case had been solved.
However, Jammu & Kashmir Police's
claim of arresting Chand Khan and describing him as the co-conspirator
and executor of the Akshardham strike has added a new dimension to the
whole gamut of investigation. Sources said that the Gujarat Police team
was also insisting to take Chand Khan to Ahmedabad for identification of
some spots and persons which have figured significantly during the interrogation.
