Ahmedabad serial blasts accused held in Ambedkar Nagar

An ATS official said that Habib’s name had come to light in the interrogation of another SIMI member Abu Bashar of Azamgarh who was arrested in August 2008 in Lucknow by Gujarat and UP ATS in connection with the same case.

Habib allegedly had played role in conducting recce of places where the timer devices were planted in Ahmedabad and also in triggering off the blasts. He was on the run since then,the official said.

The official added that Habib had studied at Islah madarsa near Sarai Mir where he came in contact with SIMI operatives Abu Bashar,Abu Jafar and Anwar Azam,and then joined the outfit. He also had attended training camps at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh and Ernakulum in Kerala between 2007 and 2008. The camps were organised by SIMI president Safdar Nagori,said the ATS official.

Habib had been in regular contact with top SIMI men,including Nagori,Kayamuddin Kapadia and Tauqir before he played a role in the Ahmedabad serial blasts.

Gujarat Police has procured transit remand from Ambedkar Nagar court to take the accused to Ahmedabad on Wednesday itself.