Bhatkal brothers behind Varansi blast: Police
By IANSWednesday, December 8, 2010
MUMBAI - Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal of terror group Indian Mujahideen are responsible for Tuesday’s blast in Varanasi that claimed a small girl’s life, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal said Wednesday, adding that they were operating from Pakistan.
“The evidence gathered by the police in connection with the terror attack in Varanasi points to the involvement of Indian Mujahideen’s Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal. The modus operandi points towards them,” Dayal said.
“They are both operating from Pakistan,” he added.
Dayal also said that till such time the Bhatkal brothers are not arrested, Mumbai will remain on high alert.
“A meeting of Maharashtra’s director general of police, the police commissioners of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and others had been called, where the decision was taken,” he said.
The Bhatkal brothers’ had also emerged as prime suspects in the February 2010 German bakery blast in Pune.
Banned terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen, allegedly founded by the Bhatkal brothers, has claimed responsibility for the Varansi attack.
An e-mail sent to media houses soon after the blast said: “Indian Mujahideen attribute(s) this attack to the 6th of December that will haunt your nation of world’s ‘greatest demoNcracy’ until Muslims are paid back justly and fairly for the loss of their beloved Babri Masjid, the precious lives of their near and dear ones, their pride, dignity and self-respect.”
A two-year-old girl child was killed and over 30 people, including a few foreigners, were injured when a bomb exploded on the banks of the Ganga during Tuesday evening’s ‘maha aarti’.
Dayal earlier said that the e-mails claiming responsibility for the Varanasi blast were tracked to Navi Mumbai.
“The e-mails have been sent after hacking an unsecured WiFi connection in Vashi township in Navi Mumbai, not from Mumbai’s (western suburb) Malad,” Dayal said.
Mumbai police had earlier detained two people - Akhil and Nikhil Talreja - for questioning but said they had been released. However, in an SMS sent to IANS, Akhil said he was still being questioned Wednesday evening.
Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil urged WiFi users “to secure their connections so that terrorist outfits cannot break into them”.
