Missing links continue to baffle cops

The state anti-terrorism squad is waiting to get the custody of terror suspect Mohammed Qateel Siddiqui alias Sajjan alias Sajan alias Javed alias Shahjada Salim of Darbanga in Bihar,who is suspected to have conducted a recce of German Bakery. The ATS,however,has sought Qateel’s custody for probing his involvement in the attempt to bomb the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple. Qateel,an alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative arrested by the special cell of Delhi police about two months ago,is in the custody of Delhi police.

State ATS chief Rakesh Maria said Qateel’s custody with Delhi police would be over by February 20. “If the Delhi police do not seek an extension,we should get his custody. Our warrant for his custody has already been accepted by the court. The blast trial is already on and we would be taking Qateel in our custody for probing the plan to bomb Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple.”

The ATS has claimed that hours after the German Bakery blast on February 13,2010,Qateel allegedly planted a bomb near the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Temple. It says the bomb,which was an improvised explosive device allegedly assembled by Yasin Bhatkal alias Ahmed Siddi Bappa,was placed in a bag. Qateel is suspected to have kept this bag at a flower vendor’s stall outside the temple but the vendor saw it and asked him to take it along with him. ATS claims that Qateel then left the place with the bomb,fearing that an argument with the vendor could attract the attention of a heavy police force deployed around the temple.

The ATS had lodged a separate offence in this matter,according to which Qateel is suspected to have dismantled the explosive device and dumped it in Mumbai. The role of Qateel,reportedly a close aide of Yasin Bhatkal,is also being probed in the Jama Masjid attack in Delhi and the Chinnaswami Stadium blast in Bangalore.