Darbhanga, March 12: A team of Delhi police last evening searched the rented accommodation of Yasin Bhatkal, an Indian Mujahideen operative who had allegedly taken shelter at Jamalchak under Town police station in the district last year.

Led by sub-inspector Gulshan Kumar Azad, the special team of Delhi police found small amount of powder-like substance and some bottles from the house where Bhatkal used to stay as a tenant between September and November 2011.

Incidentally, Bhattkal had used the name of one Mohammad Imran during his stay in the district. Sources said the powder-like substance that was found from the house could be some sort of explosive.

The sources added that the Delhi police team was accompanied by Mohammad Kafil Ahmad, who was picked up by the cops last month.

The police had alleged that Kafil was a close associate of Bhattkal and a member of Indian Mujahideen.

Though senior superintendent of police Garima Malik confirmed the visit of Delhi police to Darbhanga, the officer said she did not have any first-hand information about the incident.

Malik added that she got to know about the Delhi cops’ visit to Darbhanga from the Mabbi outpost in the Town police station area of the district. Malik further said the team of Delhi police did not contact her during their visit to Jamalchak.

The sources said Kafil had allegedly arranged the accommodation for Bhatkal as a tenant in the house of Mohammad Kazir at Jamalchak.

The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad had claimed that the Indian Mujahideen was the terror outfit behind the German bakery blast in Pune and Bhatkal, a relative of the group’s founder Riyaz Bhatkal, was its mastermind. Seventeen people had died in the explosion in the bakery unit.

A team from the special branch of Delhi police had arrested Kafil from Shivdhara-Mabbi road under Sadar police station in February this year. Police in Darbhanga had said Kafil, who used to work as a mechanic, was charged with some unlawful activities.