NEWS

Jailed SIMI man may be key in blasts investigation

By Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru
August 01, 2008 18:20 IST

Riazuddin Nasir aka Mohammad Ghouse, the SIMI operative arrested in Karnataka earlier this year, has become a key figure in the investigation into the blasts at Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. While the Bengaluru police are looking into his confessional statements, a police team from Gujarat is expected in Bengaluru to interrogate Nasir, a senior police officer told rediff.com.

The police are looking into the similarities in the blasts in both cities. They feel that Nasir, the son of Moulana Nasiruddin, an accused in the murder of Gujarat minister Haren Pandya, could provide vital clues into the case. Nasir has confessed that he had met Rasool Khan Patri, the man IB says is the mastermind in the two cases. Nasir also confessed that he had been trained in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Investigators say Indian Mujahideen is SIMI, V2.0

He also revealed during his confession that they had plans of ramming vehicles fitted with bombs into key installations. Nasir in fact was first arrested in Karnataka on charges of vehicle theft and only later did the police realise that he was a member of a terror outfit. Nasir later revealed that they had been stealing vehicles for use in terror attacks.

The police are now trying to draw similarities between Nasir's statements and also the bomb-laden vehicle that they found in Surat. A member of the investigating team in Karnataka said that from his statements it appears that the modus operandi is the same and interrogating Nasir once again will prove helpful to investigating agencies.

Moreover Nasir had also interacted with several youth during his training in PoK and he would also be grilled for information regarding details about them.

Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru

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