Serial blasts: Chargesheet against IM on Feb 11

The crime branch of the Mumbai police will file a voluminous chargesheet on February 11 against 21 men accused of being members of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and responsible foru00a0the Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Delhi serial blasts.u00a0

The police informed the special MCOCA court that it would file the chargesheet after the 150-day-period and that the chargesheet, which would run into over 1,000 pages, will have statements of over 100 witnesses detailing the entire conspiracy.

The crime branch unearthed the group last year after monitoring movements of the suspects, raiding several places and using inputs provided by the police from states.

Among the accused is Mohammed Mansoor Peerbhoy, a software professional from Pune, who is said to be the head of the media cell of the group that sent e-mails to media houses by hacking into unsecured Wi Fi accounts claiming responsibility for the blasts.

The Mumbai police had initially arrested five men - Afzal Mutalib Usmani, Mohd Sadiq Shaikh, Mohd Aarif Shaikh, Ahmed Zakir Shaikh and Shaikh Mohd Ansari. Sadiq is believed to be the founder member of the group.
Among the 21 accused, seven have given a confessional statement. Mansoor Peerbhoy has moved an application to turn approver, which the police are yet to accept.

The police are still on the lookout for Riyaz Bhatkal alias Roshan Khan, his brother Iqbal Bhatkal and Amir Raza.
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