Suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Shahzad has reportedly named at least three politicians, including a former member of the Legislative Assembly from Azamgarh, claiming they helped him flee from Delhi after the Batla House shootout two years ago, police sources said in New Delhi on Frday.
Shahzad, who was arrested in February by Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terror Squad, is said to have named a former MLA, a local leader believed to be a councillor and another leader whose help he took to flee from the national capital, the sources said. The 21-year-old accused, allegedly involved in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts and Batla encounter, claimed he went to the former MLA's residence in Shaheenbagh after he fled from the encounter site on September 19, 2008, the sources said.
"This is what he told us. We are verifying it. We are investigating whether the people whom he approached after the encounter helped him knowingly or not," a senior police official said. Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said Shahzad took "some names" whom he claimed helped him. The Crime Branch is investigating whether those mentioned by the accused helped him and in what circumstances. However, he refused to reveal any of the names, saying "we have not completed the investigations in this regard," he said.
The name of a senior Congress leader was also doing the rounds in connection with helping Shahzad but police sources denied the leader's involvement. Shahzad will be produced in court on Saturday as his remand ends and the Special Cell is likely to seek his custody in connection with the serial blasts case. The Crime Branch