Author: HT Correspondent
Publication: Hindustan Times 
Date: October 28, 2013
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/im-operative-usmani-who-escaped-from-court-nabbed/article1-1142206.aspx

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Sunday nabbed a key Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, Afzal Mutalib Usmani, who had escaped from a Mumbai court in September.

The ATS did not immediately disclose the details of how Usmani, an accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad and Surat blast cases, was held.

Usmani had escaped from the sessions court premises near Kalaghoda in the high security south Mumbai district. He escaped during lunch hour when police escorts took a group of accused to the court canteen.

Usmani (38), who hails from Sangarpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, went to the house of a relative and borrowed Rs. 600 after he escaped.

The IM operative was a hotelier in the western suburbs of Mumbai and is believed to have handled finances for the banned outfit.

He was among the 21 IM members arrested soon after the Ahmedabad and Surat blasts by the crime branch. According to the police, the group was involved in the conspiracy and each member had played different role in the execution of the blasts.

The group, also suspected to be behind a series of blasts in various Indian cities since 2005, used unsecure WiFi locations in Mumbai to send threatening emails minutes before the explosions took place at Ahmedabad and Delhi in 2008.

According to the investigating agency, Usmani stole the car used in the Ahmedabad blast.

The agency claimed that he stole cars that were later laden with explosives and used in explosions around the country.

Usmani, who lived at Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai, was a mid-level organised crime figure before he came in touch with Aftab Ansari, one of the chief architects of the homegrown IM, said a police official.