PUNE: Did the police and other security agencies ignore specific intelligence inputs a few years back about the growing subversive activities in localities like Kondhwa and Mominpura?
A senior official from one of the central intelligence agencies confirmed to DNA that it was after the encounter of Pune resident Javed Sheikh alias Kumar Pillai by the Gujarat police in 2004 that a few specific inputs were shared with security agencies including the police.
These inputs were in connection with these localities emerging as preferred places by subversive elements to plan-and-plot terror strikes besides acting as a base to provide logistical support to those who executed the bomb blasts in various cities across the country.
“While trailing a few suspects then, we found out that the better and educated youths from families with good backgrounds were being recruited,” said an officer, who had prepared and submitted a report to the Command headquarters also.
Former Pune police commissioner DN Jadhav, who was given a copy of the report, told DNA that the report was forwarded to the special branch of the police. “But as far I remember, the report didn’t have specific details,” he said.
On Monday, the Mumbai police announced that the Indian Mujahideen was using a flat at Asoka Mews housing society in Kondhwa area as its control room. This revelation was made after the police had detained as many as eight people from Pune a few days back. While four of them were from Kondhwa, another suspect is from Kasba Peth area.
One of them, identified as Mohammed Mansoor Asgar Peerbhoy, 31, is a resident of Pune, and was employed with Yahoo! as a principal software engineer at an annual pay package of Rs19 lakh. Peerbhoy, police claimed, was instrumental in the terror emails sent out before the blasts at Ahmedabad and Delhi.
