Malegaon blasts aimed at spurring Muslims against Hindus

MUMBAI: The four blasts in Malegaon town in Nasik district were carried out in places of religious significance for Muslims since the perpetrators hoped to motivate the members of the community to take up arms against the Hindu community, an approver in the case has told the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in his confession.

Abrar Ahmed Gulam Ahmed, who was granted permission by designated MCOCA judge Mrudula Bhatkar to be an approver in the case, has said in the confession that communal riot in Malegaon in 2001 was also a motivating factor for the nine accused to carry out the blasts.

Nine persons have been charged by the ATS with carrying out the four blasts in the town on September 8, 2006, in which 31 were killed and 312 people injured.

Ahmed has said in his confession, which was given to his lawyer by the court today, that another accused Shabbir Masiullah had been sent to Pakistan in 2003 for arms and ammunition training by Mohammed Ali Shaikh who is also accused of participating in the July 11 Mumbai train serial blasts conspiracy.

He also said that in 2005 a group of SIMI members in Malegaon had made a bomb for a trial and one of the wanted accused, Ishtiyaq Ahmed Issaq, carried it in his pocket. However, it exploded while he was walking, injuring both his legs.

Ahmed also said that following the July 11 serial blasts the group had become very enthused and after about ten days accused Mohammed Zahid, Shabbir Masiullah and Munnawar Ahmed went to Mumbai to meet fellow accused Salman Farsi and Mohammed Ali from where they obtained the explosives for the blasts.

Ahmed said that after obtaining the RDX needed for the bombs, the accused gathered at the godown owned by Shabbir Masiullah where acting on the instructions of two Pakistani accused they made six bombs and then concealed them there.

He also said he was to place the bomb at Mushawart Chowk in Malegaon along with accused Mohammed Zahid Ansari and Ishtiyaq Isaaq but turned away when he saw many people known to him standing there.

According to Ahmed, after the blasts there were no communal riots as planned by the group due to which they decided to plant a fake bomb at Mohammadiya Masjid on September 13, 2006, as a last attempt to fuel tensions.

Ahmed also stated in his confession that he was upset with the plans of the others and after the blasts was very sad when he visited hospitals in the town and saw the bodies of children who were killed or injured in the blasts.

He said that after the blasts he stopped meeting the other members of his group due to which they began suspecting him and began threatening him after which he left Malegaon along with his wife.

The nine persons accused in the case are Noorul Huda Samsudoha, Shabbir Ahmed Masiullah, Raees Ahmed Mansuri, Salman Farsi Aimi, Farogh Iqbal Magdumi, Mohammed Ali Shaikh, Asif Khan, Mohammed Zahid Ansari and Abrar Ahmed.

Those shown as wanted accused in the case are Riyaz Ahmed, Ishtiyaq Isaaq, Munnawar and a Pakistani national identified as Muzzamil.

The ATS has said the nine accused were members of banned Students Islamic Movement of India and carried out the blasts to foment communal tensions in the town and state.