Revealed: 2 IM operatives who controlled Hyderabad attacks

Fayaz Kagzai and Raju Bhai have risen to prominence in the terror outfit since their role in 13/7 Mumbai attacks. Vicky Nanjappa reports

Did Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Abu Jundal know about the Indian Mujahideen module that carried out the Hyderabad blasts? Investigators say that the interrogation report of Jundal (an accused in the 26/11 case) would be revisited. The information he has provided on his associate Fayaz Kagzai could hold the key to understand better the Indian Mujahideen module, which is suspected to have masterminded Thursday’s blasts.

According to sources, Jundal had said during his interrogation that Kagzai controlled the Indian Mujahideen outfit, which carried out the recent blasts across the country.

Jundal, who was one of the men in the control room at Karachi staging the 26/11 attack, also confessed that he was moved out of Pakistan and sent to Saudi Arabia to help Kagzai, who was instrumental in setting up the IM base on the instructions of the LeT.

Kagzai, according to Jundal, was in touch with IM’s Yasin and Iqbal Bhatkal. His job was to channelise funds so that the outfit could re-group itself.

Jundal, however, states that he has never met Yasin or the Bhatkal brothers -- Iqbal and Riyaz. He was only helping out Kagzai who was looking at setting up a strong Maharashtra module of the IM.

Jundal may not be the direct link to this IM module but Kagzai, who was following a brief from the LeT to assist the IM in India, is his close associate, confirmed the Delhi police special cell.

Kagzai, in fact, was the one who was in the know of the attacks that the IM was planning on staging in India. He was particular to set up the Saudi Arabia module of the IM with the support of Fasih Mahmood, who was deported to India last year. 

Who is Raju Bhai?

During the investigations in the Hyderabad blasts, the name of one Raju Bhai has cropped up. 

Raju Bhai’s contact was first found on the phones of Asad and Imran Khan, who were arrested by the Delhi police in connection with the 13/7 blasts.

Investigators suspect that he had a role to play in the Mumbai attacks and could be a part of the IM’s Darbhanga module. 

According to the probe, he had rented out an apartment in Pul Prahladpur, Delhi, which he shared with Asad and Imran.

From the conversations that have been obtained, it is evident that the same Raju Bhai was in constant touch with Kagzai in Saudi Arabia. He was taking instructions from Kagzai and passing them on to Asad and Imran.

Phone transcripts suggest that they were involved in the execution the 13/7 and Pune blasts.

“Raju Bhai is clearly an alias. Although we do not have a clear picture on who he is our leads would suggest that it could being either Yasin Bhatkal or Waqas. Both of them were involved in the resurrection of the IM,” said a police source.