In a major breakthrough, a key Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Ajaz Sheikh, who used to send anonymous mails to media houses claiming responsibility after Jama Masjid and Varanasi blasts in 2010 has been arrested by Delhi Police.
Sheikh (27), who also used to provide logistical support during IM strikes, was arrested last night from outside Saharanpur Railway Station in western Uttar Pradesh by a team of Delhi Police's Special Cell following a specific tip off.
"A resident of Pune in Maharashtra, Sheikh was 'silent' India-based techie, logistics man and hawala router of the banned terrorist organisation.
"He had close links with IM founders Riyaz Bhatkal and Mohsin Chowdhary, who had fled to Pakistan after Batla House encounter. He is the brother-in-law of Chowdhary and directly took commands from these two from across the border," said S N Shrivastava, Special Commissioner (Special Cell) of Delhi Police.
In spite of busting of several IM modules and the recent arrests of Yasin Bhatkal, Tehsin Akhtar, Assadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Waqas and others, a mystery that remained unsolved for security agencies was to find the identity of the person who had sent e-mails under the signatures of 'Al Arabi' claiming responsibility of Varanasi serial blasts and the Jama Masjid terror attacks.
All investigations into this aspect had consistently hit a dead end with the growing realisation among various security agencies that the perpetrator was "technically super-smart" and had practically left no trace of his identity while espousing the nefarious claims of IM.
"The arrest of Ajaz Sheikh has finally unravelled the mystery behind the claim made on behalf of IM after the infamous Jama Masjid terror strikes of 2010," Shrivastava said.
According to DCP (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, even Yasin Bhatkal, who was heading the Indian operations of the outfit during those days, was not aware about the sender's identity. Sheikh used to get the drafts of these emails from Riyaz Bhatkal and Mohsin Chowdhary from Pakistan which he used to send to Indian media houses.
Besides sending e-mails, Sheikh used to provide logistics to the IM operatives in India and prepared fake identities required by them for procuring mobile SIM cards, collecting foreign money transfers, obtaining rooms on rent and even in getting enrolled in professional educational institutions as a cover, police said.
