Ahmedabad blasts: SIMI activist held

An activist of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India, who was wanted in the 2002 Gujarat riots, was arrested on Sunday from Ahmedabad after a combing operation for his alleged connection to the blasts there.

The police arrested Abdul Halim from Dani Limda in the heart of Ahmedabad. Halim had gone into hiding after the riots and remained untraceable so far.

"There were reports that he was in hiding in Delhi and we had intimidated the Delhi police as well. After receiving some specific inputs about his whereabouts, the crime branch arrested him during a combing operation," Ahmedabad Joint Commissioner of Police Ashish Bhatia told PTI over phone.

Bhatia said Halim was arrested in connection with Saturday's blasts in Ahmedabad that claimed 45 lives.

Halim was wanted by the cops for enticing disgruntled youths from the riot victims' refugee camps in and around Ahmedabad and taking them to Uttar Pradesh.

"From there an organised network was engaged in sending these youths across the border for training purpose and Halim was a part of this network. Currently he is being interrogated," said Bhatia.