ATS files 4,788-page chargesheet in 13/7 case
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Friday filed a 4,788-page chargesheet in the 13/7 Mumbai triple blasts case. Six persons have been shown wanted in the case, including a 21-year-old man from Darbhanga, who is said to have executed the blasts, and the proprietor of a firm in Dubai, who sent the money used for the operation through hawala.
The ATS also made a fifth arrest in the case — a 55-year-old man from Darbhanga, who gave logistical support.
The ATS had earlier arrested four persons — Naquee Sheikh, 22, Nad-eem Sheikh, 23, (for conspiracy and providing logistical support), Kanwa-lnain Pathrija, 46, a hawala operator for giving `10 lakh to Yasin Bhatkal and Haroon Naik, who arra-nged for the funds used for execution of the blasts.
On May 19, the ATS arrested Mohammed Kafil Ansari, 55, a cycle repair shopowner in Darbangha who was involved in the criminal conspiracy and provided accommodation to the accused in the case. “The Delhi police’s special cell had arrested him; we took his custody from them in the blasts case,” Rakesh Maria, ATS chief said.
The wanted accused mentioned in the chargesheet include Yasin and
Riyaz Bhatkal, the founding members of Indian Muja-hideen; Waqas alias Waqar Ibrahim Saad and Danish alias Tabrez, the planters of bombs at Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House; another planter Tehsin Akhtar Sheikh alias Monu and Muzaffar Kola, originally from Bhatkal in Karna-taka, who at the instance of Naik arranged for the money through hawala channels from Dubai.
Kola was also involved in the 2001 kidnapping case of Roy Burman, the owner of Khadim shoes. The chargesheet mentioned that Kola had transferred the ransom amount of `3.75 crore to Asif Reza Khan and Amir Reza Khan of IM through hawala channels. This money was used for 9/11 attacks on the US.
In the chargesheet, the ATS claimed that CCTV footages showed that Waqas and Tabrez parked a stolen Activa at Tata Road number 1 in Opera House and then placed a bag containing the bomb near a hawker stall.
About the bomb placed at Zaveri Bazar, the ATS claimed that the duo used another stolen Honda Activa scooter, which they parked opposite Super Tools Shop in Zaveri Bazar. Tabrez placed the bomb in its boot.
However, the chargesheet did not mention who planted the bomb atop the bus stop in Dadar. “We will be filing a supplementary chargesheet in the case soon…I do not want to comment on who planted the bomb in Dadar right now,” Mr Maria said.
The ATS also attached the confessional statement given by Nadeem Sheikh in the chargesheet. However, Mr Maria remained non-committal on whether he will be made an approver in the case, citing that there are more arrests to be made.
Stringent MCOCA along with other IPC and UAPA sections have been applied in the case. Of the total 641 witnesses in the case, 19 have identified the four arrested accused during the identification parade.
“We have also submitted 308 hours of CCTV footages that showed the planters as evidence,” Mr Maria said.
According to the forensics report, TNT and ammonium nitrate along with carbon and petroleum were used as explosives.
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