The Indian Mujahideen (IM) had reportedly planned an attack on the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Pune,hours after the German Bakery blast on February 13,2010,sources said. The plan was shelved due to heavy police presence in the area after the bakery blast. Sources said the IED explosive,which was reportedly assembled by Yasin Bhatkal alias Yasin Ahmad Siddibappa,was to be planted by Mohammed Qateel Siddiqui at the temple. When Siddiqui reached the area,he reportedly placed the bag next to a flower vendor. But when he was leaving,the vendor noticed the bag and asked Siddiqui to take it. An argument followed,after which Siddiqui took the bag,apparently fearing that the heated exchange may arouse suspicion since there was heavy police presence in the area. A resident of Darbhanga,Bihar,Siddiquis name has emerged in three terror attacks the Jama Masjid attack,German Bakery and Chinnaswamy stadium blast. He was the first of the six IM members to be arrested on November 22 from Anand Vihar bus terminal here. He is reportedly one of the closest associates of Yasin,for whom the police have declared a reward of Rs 15 lakh. Sources said it was Yasin who devised the plan of planting bombs. While he reportedly planted the bomb for the bakery blast,he directed Siddiqui to plant the bomb at the temple. When he failed to plant the bomb,Siddiqui rushed back to Mumbai where he dismantled the device which had a timer set at 7:13 pm,just like the one used in the bakery blast. Later,he took a train to Delhi where he was scheduled to meet Yasin,a senior police officer said. Sources said Yasin had visited Delhi at least eight times after the serial blasts and stayed for about two-three months each time. Temple on terror radar for eight years ASHOK Godse,president of the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir Trust,said the temple has been on the radar of terrorists for several years. We have been receiving terror alerts from the police for the last eight years,mainly during the festival period. Accordingly,we have deployed security guards and installed CCTVs,metal detectors at appropriate spots in and around the temple, he said. The plan to attack Dagdusheth temple was not revealed during the interrogation of Mirza Himayat Inayat Baig,the alleged LeT commander for Maharashtra. Baig had told his lawyers that he did not know any of the six IM suspects arrested by the Delhi Police. None of these six suspects are named in the chargesheet in the German Bakery blast case filed by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad. Investigations revealed that Baig and Mohammed Qateel Siddiqui worked on the instructions of Yasin Bhatkal. The investigation is on the right track as the Delhi Police probe has revealed Yasins involvement in the bakery blast. It is possible that Siddiqui and Baig do not know each other and have no idea about the action plan of each other. This is how terror modules work, an officer said. Chandan Haygunde
