The 7/11 train bombings case has taken another twist with one of its accused quoting David Headley and seeking a fresh probe by the National Investigation Agency. Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui, one of the accused in the case, says that there is a new dimension to the case ever since Headley revealed that this attack was planned in Karachi and had Pakistani links.
Since the NIA is probing the Headley case, Siddiqui has sought a fresh probe in the 7/11 blasts in a letter written to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.
The NIA says it is probing the Headley angle in this case and so far all they have found is that he was aware of the plot.
The NIA don't believe that Headley played a major role in the 7/11 blasts. He had named some conspirators who incidentally happen to be similar to those who took part in the 26/11 attacks. "It is an established fact that the 7/11 train bombings were the handiwork of the Lashkar and we will need to see what additional details come up in respect to the Headley angle. The fact that the names of the conspirators in the 7/11 chargesheet are different from the ones that have been mentioned by Headley is something that needs to be looked into," said an NIA official.
The ATS chargesheet names Azam Cheema as the chief conspirator of the 7/11 attacks, but Headley names Muzzamil Bhat to be one of the chief conspirators.
Although the trial has commenced, there is no bar in going ahead with the investigation into newer aspects of the case, but will need to wait for a go ahead from the home ministry on this, sources in the NIA added.
The ATS, which has been probing the 7/11 case however adds that the claim by the accused that they are innocent is baseless. "Let the courts decide and let them place their case before the judge who will take a final call on it. If there is a Headley angle which has cropped up then the NIA could probe it and this would only add strength to the existing case," said a source in the ATS.
Siddiqui's letter to the Home Minister
"I am an innocent person, falsely implicated in 11th July 2006 Mumbai Train Blast case All the evidences were falsely fabricated by investigation team lead by ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi and the evidence of our innocence were destroyed or hidden by the investigation agency. Currently, the trial of 7/11 blast case has started before MCOCA Special Court in Mumbai. This is an injustice to me and my co-accused that we are put on the trial of 7/11 blast case on false and fabricated evidences.
Recently in June 2010, the National Investigation Agency interrogated David Coleman Headley, arrested by American agencies in Chicago, in respect of 26/11 attack. In the said interrogation, Headley revealed that the plan of 7/11 blast was made in Karachi, Pakistan and he also mentioned the names of the conspirators. The name of conspirators according to David Headley are different to the name mentioned in the charge sheet of 7/11 blast case filed by the Anti-Terrorism Squad Mumbai.
That the charge sheet contained many loopholes and if any one perused the charge sheet, easily understood that the story of the Anti-Terrorism Squad is false, fabricated and the all arrested accused are innocent.
Hence it is kindly requested that you please direct the National Investigation Agency (NIA) U/S 6(3) of National Investigation Agency Act 2008 to conduct a thorough investigation of 7/11 blast case."
