ATS steps up heat on ’radicalised’ youths

Investigating agencies are picking up history-sheeters for questioning in a bid to dig out some leads in the recent Mumbai blasts; families of terror suspects deny being questioned

ATS steps up heat on 'radicalised' youths

Investigating agencies are picking up history-sheeters for questioning in a bid to dig out some leads in the recent Mumbai blasts; families of terror suspects deny being questioned

In the aftermath of last week's Mumbai serial blasts, the city units of Anti-Terrorist Squad and Anti-Terrorist Cell have stepped up heat on alleged sympathisers of banned outfits such as Indian Mujahideen (IM) and SIMI, their families and history-sheeters to dig out leads in the triple blast that left 18 dead and 121 injured.

Disaster spot: Mangled remains of vehicles and shops at Opera House,
one of the three blast sites, where a powerful bomb went off on July 13.
File pic

According to sources, the city has earned a bad name for providing logistical support and shelter to members of banned outfits. Radical outfits such as Kerala-based Popular Front of India (PFI) are also spreading their wings in the city. Recently, a few of members of the PFI were arrested for trying to provoke passions.

A senior official from the Pune ATS said, "We haven't got any specific instruction from the Mumbai unit, who are primarily investigating the triple blasts, till now. But we are independently questioning 'radicalised' youths and other usual suspects in order to dig up information on the possible involvement of sleeper modules based in Pune." "We haven't got any major leads so far, but will continue our efforts," the officer added. The PATC officers of Crime Branch are already in the state capital for passing on information available with them to their Mumbai counterparts.

Families deny probe
Tehsin Chowdhary, brother of Mohsin, the absconding accused in several terror attack cases, told MiD DAY that the police had not approached them for questioning so far. "It has become a ritual, after every blast the media and cops come running to our house. We are still suffering from this problem," he alleged. Family accounts of the Chowdharys in the Nana Peth branch of Ratnakar Scheduled Commercial Bank were frozen in April 2010 on instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Moshin, a resident of the Manisha Complex in Mithanagar of Kondhwa, had fixed deposits in the bank against which he had taken home loan to buy a 1 bhk flat. Family members of Mansoor Mohammad Asghar Ali Peerbhoy, the software engineer and head of Indian Mujahideen's media cell who was arrested in 2008, also denied any fresh police enquiries after the Mumbai blasts. Peerbhoy, Akbar Chowdhary (another brother of Mohsin) and several other Indian Mujahideen operatives were based in Pune and actively coordinated the serial blasts in 2008 in Ahmedabad and Bangalore.