IM planned attack in Pune court to avenge its activist’s murder in jail,says ATS

The ATS claimed that fugitive IM co-founder Riyaz Bhatkal had exchanged several emails with Firoz alias Hamza Abdul Sayyed (38),one of those arrested in the Pune blasts case,directing him to carry out terror attacks to avenge Siddiqui’s murder by two inmates,Sharad Mohol and Ashok Bhalerao.

The initial plan reportedly was to carry out a suicide attack inside a Pune court where Mohol and Bhalerao were to be produced in connection with Qateel’s murder. However,since the police already anticipated a threat to their lives,heavy security was in place at the court,and the plan was discarded,ATS has said.

The IM then reportedly intended to murder the families of Mohol and Bhalero,and scouted their residences in Pimpri Chinchwad,but found the plan was not feasible. Next,the IM thought of eliminating the duo outside Yerwada jail,but were reportedly dissuaded by the high security.

According to ATS,when all else failed,Bhatkal told Firoz to carry out coordinated blasts in Mumbai and Pune. The ATS alleged that blasts were planned at a bus depot outside Bandra railway station,a McDonalds outlet outside Andheri railway station,on Juhu beach and a Hindu-dominated locality in Jogeshwari.

However,as two operatives allegedly involved in JM Road blasts — Wakas alias Wakar Ibrahim Sad and Danish alias Tabrez — had executed triple blasts in Mumbai in July 2011,another set of blasts in the city was deemed too risky,the ATS has claimed.