Dawood aide held

Delhi/Mumbai, March 8

The CBI today arrested Mohammad Farooq Takla, alleged key facilitator for the accused of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, from IGI Airport, Delhi. He was later flown to Mumbai where a TADA court sent him to CBI custody till March 19.

Takla, a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, who had been absconding since March 1993, today arrived by an Air-India flight from Dubai, where he has been living under an assumed name.

Criminal lawyer Majeed Memon, who has represented many of those accused in the 1993 blasts case, claimed Takla had voluntarily given himself up to the Indian authorities. “Farooq has shown his willingness to come to India and stand trial,” Memon told reporters.

Shortly after his arrival in Mumbai, Farooq, also known as Yasin Mansoor, was ushered away by intelligence officials for interrogation. As per interrogation of several of those arrested and convicted in the 1993 blasts cases, Farooq had played a major role in arranging explosives to be planted in various vehicles in different parts of Mumbai.

Farooq along with his family and key accused Tiger Memon had left India hours before the bombs planted by them went off. — TNS