Media Eye News Bureau: The Police arrested Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer – termed the “Bin Laden of India”- who allegedly masterminded the serial blasts in Gujarat and Delhi in 2008.
Qureshi was trapped after a brief encounter on Saturday night from East Delhi’s Ghazipur area, following an exchange of fire, ending a nine-year wait by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other central agencies.
He is accused of plotting the serial blasts in Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008 when as many as 21 bombs planted in tiffin boxes and motor cycles went off in busy markets and bus stations. Over 200 persons were also injured. The toll could have gone up but 29 of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) failed to explode due to various technical reasons.
According to the police official, Qureshi was one of the chief instructors and main organizers of those camps, where participants were trained in arms usage, rock climbing, swimming, physical fitness, making petrol bombs, and so on. They were also given psychological and other special training to mislead interrogators in case of their arrest.
Qureshi had laid the foundation of Indian Mujahideen with Riyaz Bhatkal and some radicalised youth outfits, said Kushwaha, adding that he had gone to Pune in connection with the planning of Gujarat bomb blasts. After his accomplice and SIMI chief Safdar Nagori and 11 others were arrested in Indore in 2008, he escaped to Gujrat and later made crossed over to Nepal, where he had staying since then on a fake identity.
Police said that they had recovered a sophisticated weapon and five cartridges and some documents from Qureshi and are examining them.
