As manhunt begins, IM associates to be quizzed

Vicky Nanjappa says investigators are fanning out to known Indian Mujahideen hideouts and also question jailed suspects in order to get more information on the Mumbai blasts.

As investigations into the Mumbai serial blasts progresses, police teams have been dispatched to strongholds of the Indian Mujahideen in a bid to collect more information.

Police teams have been sent to sensitive areas such as Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and Bhatkal in Karnataka and routine questioning regarding some of the suspects will take place. A source in the agency said that although all angles are being looked into at the moment, the IM remains the prime suspect. There has been very heavy intelligence presence in these areas and movements of several persons is being monitored. Close aides and family members of some of the suspects will be subject to routine questioning, sources added.

In addition to this the police would also question some of the key IM operatives who have been arrested in connection with the other blast cases in the country.

The special teams are already in touch with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka where several members of the IM are in custody. Although the perpetrators may not be holed up in any of these places, there is a good chance of some information coming out from the questioning and further investigation, sources added.

Although the police had conducted a similar exercise after the Varanasi blasts last December, the emphasis would also be on finding out more regarding some key personnel who control this outfit. The whereabouts of the likes of Mohsin Chaudhary a resident of Hyderabad, is also being tracked although it is believed that he has left the country. In addition to there would be a follow up on the Interpol notice against Asadullah Akhthar and Dr Shahnawaz who were last reported to be in the UAE.

The police will also look to question the likes of Salman alias Chotu who was a member of the IM. His interrogation report gived insight into the outfit and how as on today the IM is relying heavily on the modules based in Pakistan and the UAE. Chotu speaks extensively about the manner in which the IM had been trying to regroup and looking at carrying out serial blasts. Chotu told interrogators that the Inter Services Intelligence was looking to revamp the IM since it felt the desperate need to have a home-grown outfit in India.

In addition to this the police had also noted that the IM was shifting a large part of its operations to the Gulf, where there get lot of logistic support from modules in Kerala. Chotu also speaks about a series of attacks that the IM had planned and added that they plan to recommence operations in Uttar Pradesh.

All these factors would play a very crucial role and investigators are trying to join the dots in order to make some sense out of this case.

Coverage: Mumbai Blasts 2011