M A I N   N E W S

3 arrested in Mumbai blasts case
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, July 21
In a major breakthrough 11 days after the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai’s commuter trains, the police in Mumbai and Bihar arrested three persons yesterday evening.

Addressing reporters here Mr K.P. Raghuvanshi, who heads the Anti Terror Squad (ATS) of the Mumbai police, gave the names of the three persons as Khaleel Aziz Sheikh (24), Kamal Ahmed Ansari (32) and Mumtaz Ahmed Chowdhury (34). While the first two were arrested from Basupati village in Bihar’s Madhubani district, the third was arrested from Turbe on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Before producing the three before a local court Mr Raghuvanshi told reporters that the three have links with groups in Nepal and Bangladesh “which are directly or indirectly connected to Pakistan”.

The police officer added that Ansari had an earlier criminal record having been arrested by the Delhi Police for possessing an AK-47 assault rifle. Mr Raghuvanshi added that the ATS squad would make more arrests soon.

The two suspects from Bihar were arrested on Thursday afternoon while Mumtaz was arrested late that night. According to Mr Raghuvanshi 1.5kgs of gunpowder was recovered from the two suspects arrested from Bihar.

All three suspects were produced before a magistrate’s court this afternoon. Magistrate AV Shete remanded them in police custody for 10 days.

Mr R.R. Patil, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, told the state Assembly that Pakistan-based terrorists were involved in the blasts and the police would soon “submit” evidence about this as demanded by Gen Pervez Musharraf.