Maqbool emerging as key link to blasts?

HYDERABAD: With voices being raised over the inaction of the state police despite getting alerts on possible bomb attacks, conflicting versions are being heard from the Centre and the state over whether or not the Centre had passed on information to the AP police about the confession of an Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative of doing a reccee of Dilsukhnagar area in October last year.

Last year, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police had busted an Indian Mujahideen Module with the arrest of four persons -- Asad Khan of Aurangabad, Imran Khan of Nanded, Landge Sayed Feroz of Pune and Landge Irfan Mustafa of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra -- who were responsible for the August 2012 serial blasts in Pune.

Their interrogation led the investigators to another IM operative Sayed Maqbool alias Zuber, a resident of Nanded, Maharashtra. Sayed Maqbool was arrested after much efforts on October 23, 2012 from Hyderabad where he had been hiding to evade his arrest.

According to the Special Cell officials, about a month before Ramzan in 2012, Maqbool helped Imran do a reccee of Dilsukhnagar, Begum Bazar and Abids in Hyderabad on a motorcycle on the instruction of Riyaz Bhatkal, the founder of IM.

What is, however, unclear is whether this information revealed by Maqbool has been shared with the AP police. A senior police official, on condition of anonymity, said they had not received any such information from their Delhi counterparts. Maqbool, in fact, was involved in quite a few offences in Hyderabad.

Teaming up with Azam Ghori of Warangal district, who was subsequently killed in an encounter in 2000, Maqbool first came on the police radar in the murder of one Krishnamurthy in Nizamabad district in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was, however, released from jail in October 2009. Later, he was involved in the murder of one Devender, who had allegedly encroached on a masjid land in Uppal. Thereafter, he was involved in the murder of Mahaveer Prasad, a jeweller.

Police said that Maqbool was also instrumental in the formation of Indian Muslim Mohammadin Mujahidin (IMMM), a terrorist outfit.

Maqbool was linked to other bomb blasts including the one at hotel Kakatiya in Lal Darwaza, the blast at Sharada theatre in Nanded, in Lamba theatre in Secunderabad and an accidental blast in the house of Azam Ghori while preparing IEDs. It was Azam Ghori who had taught Maqbool how to make IEDs.

Police said that Maqbool came in contact with Imran through a common friend. The latter introduced Maqbool to Asad and Irfan. Maqbool taught them how to make a bomb by using urea, diesel and fire cracker powder at Asad's farmhouse in Aurangabad.

In April 2012, Imran introduced Maqbool to Bhatkal brothers, key IM operatives. Before the August 1 Pune serial blasts, Maqbool, Irfan, Imran and Asad had discussed a fidayeen attack plan on Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

Maqbool is also close to Abdul Rauf, a resident of Saidabad, and Naseeruddin, both of whom were accused in the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya, police said.