Investigations into the network of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) has revealed that it could be Iqbal Bhatkal, elder brother of alleged kingpin Riyaz, who is the main brain of the IM.
The Mumbai crime branch which successfully busted the media cell of IM has reached a dead-end as far as nabbing both Iqbal and Riyaz is concerned.
A senior police officer from the crime branch, who is part of the investigations, said that revelations made by the arrested suspects indicate that even though Riyaz is an important member in the terror outfit, it is Iqbal who calls the shots. He is also is responsible for hiring and indoctrinating youths to join the IM.
Iqbal, said the officer, is being supported by a person called Aziz Raza, who is based in Bangladesh and is reportedly supported by the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HuJI). “Raza is a relative of Atiq Ameen who was killed in a police encounter in Delhi in September,” the officer said.
Following the bomb blasts in Assam, Mumbai police are worried because both Iqbal and Riyaz are on the loose. The blasts in the Assam indicate that the group is still active,” the officer said.
The arrested suspects too haven’t given police adequate information regarding Iqbal and Riyaz. “They hardly met anyone personally and always communicated through a single person,” the officer said.
