While the Delhi police reportedly said that Abu Jundal could not participate in Daura-e-Khaas training because of his back problem, senior crime branch officers said that he had taken the training that even Kasab had undergone.
Officers said that Jundal was in touch with a few Indians both in Pakistan and India during and after the 26/11 raids. Jundal reportedly said that he had fled the country in 2006 via Kolkata-Bangladesh-Pakistan and was there till 2011, where he also did odd jobs at a private construction site. He told the police that he was asked to give Hindi lessons to terrorists, as he had completed first year MA in Hindi in Beed in 2004.
The Delhi police special cell, who had the custody of Jundal before the Mumbai crime branch, had said that he could only undergo the 21-day basic combat course (Daura-e-Aam) but could not take the three-month advanced combat course (Daura-e-Khaas) because of back problems. “Jundal had taken both the training in Pakistan from 2006 when he fled there after the Aurangabad arms haul case. In May 2006, he took a train to Kolkata from which he managed to enter Nepal and flew to Pakistan with a passport not on his name,” said Niket Kaushik, additional commissioner of police, crime.
Mr Kaushik said that Jundal was in touch with Indians both in India and Pakistan before and after the 26/11 raids.
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PC ASKS CHAVAN FOR ADEQUATE JUNDAL SECURITY
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, July 23
Union home minister P. Chidambaram has asked Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to ensure adequate security for the safe and secure custody and trial of Abu Jundal, an accused in the 26/11 terror attack. Jundal is now under the custody of the Maharashtra police.
According to sources, in a telephonic conversation, Mr Chidambaram communicated to Mr Chavan the need to ensure elaborate security arrangements for Jundal. The home minister said that safe and secure custody and trial of Jundal would reassure the global community that India can successfully handle custody of high-value targets and bring top terrorists to face justice, sources said.
“The home minister also told the Maharashtra CM that if any Central assistance was required for the safety of Jundal, it would be provided to the state government as soon as possible,” sources said.