Accused was allegedly paid to manufacture and plant explosive device similar to the one used in the Malegaon blast to frame garage owners

The Malad police have covered significant ground in the Malad garage RDX case with the arrest of the alleged bomb maker, a resident of Malegaon, and seven others.

During interrogation, police found that a property dispute between relatives was the reason behind the explosive device being planted.

The arrested have been identified as Sajid Shaikh (29), Mahmood Khan (45), his wife Irfana Khan alias Ippo (40), Shakil Vakil Ahamad Khan (39), Rashid Babu Shaik (54), and his son Imran Rashid Khan (28).

Interrogation of these accused led to the arrest of Maqsood Ahmed from Malegoan, who allegedly made the explosive device.

Maqsood claimed that he was inspired by the bomb used in the Malegaon blasts and had used the same blueprint for the device he planted at the garage in Malad on Tuesday.

According to the police, he said that he kept clippings from newspapers that described and named parts and ingredients used to make the bomb used in the Malegaon blast and replicated it.

He also bought the ingredients and detonators from various shops in Malegaon.

"Maqsood bought crackers, removed the sulphur and added ingredients like gunpowder, TNT, TEK and RDX (4%).

He said this wasu00a0 exactly like the prototype he had come across in newspaper clippings," said a senior police officer.

Senior police inspector R Prabhu said, "He has confessed that he used the same material as used in the Malegaon blasts.

We were also shocked to see that the suitcase was a fully functional explosive and had all the right components."

Story so far

On Tuesday, the Pydhonie police and ATS raided the garage in Malad and seized an RDX-like substance. Three brothers, who own the garage, were taken in for questioning. The brothers told the police that they were being framed by their relatives because of a dispute over the garage's ownership.

Modusu00a0Operandi

Police investigations have revealed that, on December 30, Irfana and a few others went to the garage to have it vacated claiming that it had been purchased from Rashid for Rs 23 lakh. A clash ensued between and a case was filed against both parties at Bangur Nagar police station.

Later Irfana met police informer Sajid and Rashid.u00a0 Sajid said he could get the explosives and plant them at the garage for Rs 1 lakh. He contacted Maqsood and paid him Rs 50,000 to procure the material for the bomb. After Maqsood planted the bomb, Sheikh tipped-off the police.

Salim Khan, one of theu00a0 owners of the garage, said, "A mechanic working at my garage saw a man leaving the bag behind and leaving. He followed him, but could not catch him. We did not take it seriously and threw the bag in a nearby gutter and then the police raided the garage."