Sayyed Md Hanif, convicted in the 2003 Gateway blast, had sent a supari for prime witness cabbie Shivnarayan Pande

The startling interception of two secret letters allegedly written by Sayyed Mohammed Hanif, one of the three prime accused, now convicted, in the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazar blasts, suggests there was a plot to assassinate cabbie Shivnarayan Pandey.

The letters, called 'small note' and 'medium note' were written by Hanif in 2005 from Arthur Road jail and was passed on to an underworld sharpshooter.

It was only by luck that they were found and the security blanket around Pandey further tightened.

In fact, even today, after the accused have been convicted, Pandey's whereabouts remain a closely-guarded secret.
u00a0
The plot

Midnight, October 21, 2005: Cops on duty at Andheri station spot a man moving suspiciously.

When they ask him to stop, he flees and is caught after a desperate chase. His name, they find, is Mohammed Ayub and on him is a Webly Scott revolver with five live rounds.

During the course of investigation and after an even more thorough search Crime Branch cops find two letters in his pockets.

Inspector Ashok Borkar and Sub-inspector Sanjeev Gawde part of the Criminal Intelligence Unit had intercepted this letter and showed it to this reporter.

Gateway of India Carnage to peace: The Gateway of India after the blast on August 25, 2003. Yesterday, as the court found the accused in the case guilty, the same spot was a picture of peace and happiness. 52 The number of people killed in the twin blasts

Zaveri Bazar Life goes on: Zaveri Bazaar after the blast. Like its counterpart, the daily hustle and bustle went about unabated at this spot yesterday. 184 The number of people injured in the blasts Read Next Story Accused's moment of truth in tabela› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT