The three Indian Mujahideen terrorists, part of its Rajasthan module who were arrested on Saturday by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, have said they were planning a terror strike to avenge the Gopalgarh riots which took place in the state in 2009, according to police.
"The module was in constant touch with IM bosses back in Pakistan. They had discussed to avenge the Gopalgarh communal riots with Riyaz Bhatkal, one of the founder members of IM who is currently based in Pakistan. Although there were no definitive plans, it was on the cards," said a senior police official associated with the probe.
On early Saturday morning, top IM operative and Pakistani national Zia Ur Rehman was arrested from Ajmer in Rajasthan while three of his associates identified as Waqar Azhar, Mohammad Mahruf and Shaquib Ansari, who were part of the Rajasthan module of the terror outfit, were arrested early on Sunday morning.
Azhar and Mahruf were arrested from Jaipur and they are engineering students while Ansari is a computer operator who was nabbed from Jodhpur.
Sources also said police have recovered 73 live bombs from these three. 30 bombs were recovered from Azhar, 14 from Mahruf, 22 from Ansari and seven were seized from Barkat Ali who was arrested by Rajasthan police, sources said.
The trio had sheltered Tehseen alias Monu, the IM India operations chief who was arrested today, and procured explosives and harboured terrorist designs, police said.
Their interrogation has also brought out that they wanted to go and fight NATO forces in Afghanistan.
