Scribe held after links with Iranian found: Delhi police

The Delhi police on Friday claimed that investigators tracked the Indian journalist arrested in the car bomb attack on an Israeli embassy vehicle after finding his links with one of the Iranians who was in touch with the head of the module which carried out the attack in Bangkok.

Investigators also said the module, which attacked the Israeli embassy car on February 13 on Aurangazeb Road injuring a mission employee and three others, had recceed the mission office in May last year before returning to check this January and February again.

Syed Mohd Ahmad Kazmi, 50, residing in south Delhi's Jor Bagh who writes for Iranian publications, was arrested on March six following investigations into the incident, which prompted Israel to point fingers at Iran immediately after the incident.

Sources claimed Kazmi, whom police said was the "conspirator and not the executioner" of the plot, helped the Iranians carry out the attack for money and ideological reasons.

Investigators said they tracked Kazmi after the arrest of Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, the operational head of the module which carried out the attack in Bangkok, in Malaysia.

According to police sources, Sedaghatzadeh was in touch with Houshang Afshar Irani and technical surveillance of Irani led to his alleged links with Kazmi. Irani, after his visit to Delhi in February, fled to Malaysia before the attack.

Addressing a press conference, Delhi police Commissioner B K Gupta said Kazmi was "instrumental" in getting the Israeli Embassy and its surrounding areas receed by the suspected persons of Iranian origin.

Providing details about investigations, Gupta said, "He has been arrested as a facilitator and for being a part of the conspiracy. His questioning brought to light that he has been in contact with persons of Iranian origin involved in the attack for some time."