The National Investigation Agency and Mumbai ATS are interrogating Indian Mujahideen operative and city techie Danish Riyaz, who is currently lodged in Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat, for clues regarding the Mumbai blasts.
Sources said that Riyaz and Tauqeer, alias Abdul Subhan, played a key role in the regrouping and revival of the Indian Mujahideen after key operatives were arrested and carried out their operations from Ranchi.
The police suspect that Tauqeer, Maharashtra native wanted for his roles in serial blasts across the country involving Indian Mujahideen in the past four years, also had a hand in the recent Mumbai blasts.
While the state police believe that Tauqeer escaped to Nepal with the help of Riyaz, the IB suspects that he might have joined the Bhatkal brothers and Amir Reza Khan — the founders and top operatives of native — at Karachi in Pakistan.
“Danish Riyaz misled the Gujarat police and the Intelligence Bureau during interrogations last month and tried to project that the Indian Mujahideen was struggling for funds and was not in a position to carry out serial blasts as most of its key members were in jails. However, the actual situation is different. They have regrouped and is in a position to carry out serial blasts again,” said a senior police official.