The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Monday said it will also be seeking custody of Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, who was arrested by the Delhi police following a late night operation.
Tauqeer is believed to be the alleged co-founder of terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM). The Gujarat police wants Tauqeer for his alleged role in the Ahmedabad serial blasts of 2008 and the recovery of several dud bombs from Surat during the same period.
He was the mentor to some of the main accused in the case as well as believed to be the brain behind it.
The 19 serial blasts in Ahmedabad killed 57 and injured over 200 on July 26, 2008.
JCP Crime Branch, JK Bhatt said Tauqeer was originally a SIMI worker who later on founded the IM. "He did his diploma in industrial electronics and originally belonged to Rampur in Uttar Pradesh but had been living in Mumbai," said Bhatt.
Speaking further about Tauqeer's Ahmedabad connection, Bhatt said in the year 2003- 2004, Tauqeer attended a SIMI meet in Juhapura which was also attended by several other accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad blast including main accused Qayamuddin Kapadia. Police alleged that Tauqeer had also asked Qayamuddin to carry out survey of Hindu areas in Vadodara. "He had also done a recce of the residence of Rakesh Shah (who is now an MLA from Ellisbridge) and Dinesh Shah a then senate member from Vadodara," said Bhatt.
He said Tauqeer had before the blast stayed at a house in Vatva area of Ahmedabad and was also in direct contact with Riyas and Iqbal Bhatkal, some of the original founders of IM who are believed to have fled to Pakistan.
Cops also believe that Tauqeer had before and after the blast visited Pakistan.
