Patna, Oct. 30: Police investigations have revealed that Tabish Neyaz alias Arshad Ansari was the local link behind the serial blasts in Patna, which claimed the lives of six persons and left over 80 wounded.
Tabish (25), a native of Alaula village in East Champaran district, was arrested yesterday and produced before judicial magistrate Prabal Dutta in Patna today. He was subsequently remanded in judicial custody till November 12.
Based on information provided by him, a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Ranchi police late last night arrested one Uzair Ahmad Khan (35), suspected to be a key ideologue of Indian Mujahideen (IM)’s Ranchi module, from Doranda late last night.
Khan, who works as an electrician, is suspected to be the “spiritual mentor” of hardcore IM operative from Aurangabad, Haider, who is still absconding.
“Khan was arrested in connection with the Patna serial blasts case,” Jharkhand Police DGP Rajeev Kumar confirmed.
Sources have not ruled out Khan’s involvement in other terror attacks across the country, including the 2012 Delhi High Court serial blasts.
Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said Tabish was an important member of the Ranchi module of the IM. “Tabish, a graduate from Ranchi University, thrice did a recce of the places where the bombs were planted,” the SSP said.
The SSP said Tabish used to stay at his uncle’s house in Sultanganj locality of the city. He was in touch with Haider, a former college mate, who is one of the six persons named as accused in the FIR. “Tabish is well acquainted with all members of the Ranchi module of the terror outfit formed by Tahseen Akhtar alias Monu,” he said.
Tabish has reportedly told the interrogators that the strategy for the serial blasts was drawn up about two months ago. The module formed by Akhtar, an associate of IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, was assigned the job.
Akhtar had successfully carried out similar explosions at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodhgaya on July 7, Tabish has reportedly disclosed.
The SSP said Tabish was assigned to harbour the IM members, including Akhtar, a native of Samastipur district in north Bihar.
He admitted that Imtiyaz Ansari, who was arrested from Patna Junction soon after the first blasts on Sunday, had contacted him on his mobile phone on the day of the serial blasts. “Imtiyaz had promised to meet him at his native village (in East Champaran) after the operation,” Maharaj quoted Tabish as saying.
An NIA officer said the six IM operatives arrived in Patna from Ranchi after getting the green light from Tabish, who did the final recce of the places where the bombs were to be planted on October 26, a day before the Hunkar Rally. “The information was passed to Monu (Akhtar) by mobile phone,” Tabish reportedly said.
During interrogation Tabish revealed that he did the recce of Gandhi Maidan and Patna Junction between October 6 and 9.
