Hyderabad, May 02: A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation, New Delhi reached Ajmer in Rajasthan to interrogate Devendra Gupta, a member of the right-wing outfit Abhinav Bharat, arrested for the 2007 bomb blast at the Ajmer Shareef, in connection with the Mecca masjid blasts which took place here on May 18, 2007.
If sources are to be believed, Gupta has reportedly given some leads about the Mecca Masjid blasts, the third anniversary of which is approaching. Top sources disclosed to Express that 36-year-old Gupta, arrested by the Rajasthan ATS yesterday, is said to have given “valuable leads’’ in the Mecca Masjid blast case which is being probed by the CBI.
A team of CBI officers led by DIG Ashok Tiwari reached Rajasthan this morning. A Rajasthan court has granted 12-day police custody of Gupta.
Contacted by Express, Additional DGP, Rajasthan ATS, Kapil Garg said only the CBI can comment on the development.
Five persons died in the blast and nine in the subsequent police firing outside the mosque on Friday when thousands of Muslims gathered for prayers.
Soon after the blast, several names of most wanted terrorists surfaced and fresh efforts were made to nab them.
However, despite the interrogation of over a 100 youths, the Hyderabad city police could make no headway and the case was transferred to the CBI who too could not make any headway for the last three years.
In fact, some of the associates of the most wanted Indian Mujahideen terrorist Riyaz Bhatkal confessed to the police that they planned and executed the twin bomb blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat to “avenge’’ the Mecca Masjid blast.
“The material used in the bombs that went off in Ajmer Shareef and Mecca Masjid are similar,’’ sources said.
On May 18 last year, the second anniversary of Mecca Masjid blasts, two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at two police constables at Falaknuma, killing one of them.
–Agencies