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Journalism of Courage
March 1: Police fears about the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in the Friday bomb blasts were strengthened today when a special investigation team said it suspected a Pak-trained ISI agent had masterminded the explosions.
After the arrest of Altaf Khalil Sheikh (32) and Ashfaque Karim (20), a third conspirator, Azgar Kadar Sheikh, was nabbed by a special police squad at Santacruz east late last night. He was today remanded to police custody till March 9 by the holiday metropolitan court.
The Thane police have also identified the killer human bomb responsible for the blast near the Virar railway station. The accused, Joe Mendies (45), who was killed in the blast, was a former Gulf employee. Police are interrogating his sister with whom he was staying, and trying to get details about his relatives and friends.
Four other suspects have been detained by the police, and a massive manhunt has been launched for the ISI agent suspected to be the brain behind the explosions. An alerthas been sounded, and hideouts of criminals are being raided.
The militant has been wanted since last year in connection with a crude bomb blast near the Jama Masjid on the eve of the Ganesh festival, police sources said. He was apparently injured then while assembling the explosive and fled.
Sources said he had been seen near Bandra nearly five months ago, but he managed to give police the slip. His whereabouts subsequently remained unknown, though police informants are believed to have informed the authorities that he had not gone out of Mumbai. "The main suspect has already been identified by the crime branch, and we hope to arrest him in the next 24 hours," deputy commissioner of police (detection) K L Prasad said.
Police are also trying to ascertain whether the arrested accused are members of a local extremist outfit, which has been receiving funds from the ISI, and whether they have links with underworld gangs operating from Dubai. As combing operations in the Golibar area continued, localresidents said the suspected local outfit is known for its shady activities, and it is the same gang which was responsible for fomenting trouble in the locality following the March 12, 1993 blasts. They claimed the gang was also involved in extortion and land-grabbing activities.
The Bura Qureshi Chawl is a sanctuary for gangsters owing allegiance to an outfit whose ringleader bears the alias "Commando" it is claimed. The residents also aired the apprehension that huge quantities of arms and explosives might still have been stashed away in the slums of Khar east.
Meanwhile, police sources confirmed that doctors last night amputated Ashfaq Mohammed Karim’s leg in a city hospital. He was seriously injured when he tripped with explosives on his person on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde said the police are making all efforts to trace the accused behind the blasts.
