ATS Arrested Terrorist Planning For Massive Blasts
A terrorist has been arrested by the Mumbai ATS after receiving a tip. Terrorist, identified as Zakir Sheikh, who was arrested from Mumbai had received instructions from Pakistan, and was preparing for blasts in trains and crowded areas in Mumbai.
Maharashtra ATS has given this information. Zakir was arrested on September 17 from Jogeshwari area of Mumbai. He is in the custody of Maharashtra ATS till October 11 along with two other terror suspects Rizwan Momin and Irfan Sheikh. A case has been registered against Zakir Sheikh under UAPA.
Maharashtra ATS Chief Vineet Agarwal said on Wednesday that during the investigation, voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) calls of suspected terrorist Zakir Sheikh revealed that he had received calls from Pakistan. It cannot be confirmed that the numbers were from Pakistan but, the IP address is from Pakistan. If sources are to be believed, on the instructions of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, Zakir was working to collect weapons for a big blast.
According to Mumbai ATS, Zakir Sheikh was in contact with Anthony, a citizen of the neighboring country. ATS is gathering information about Anthony and his role in the terror plot. According to Maharashtra ATS, many terrorists including Zakir were planning a blast in many crowded areas including Mumbai’s local train. For this these places were reckoned. It is feared that the strings of this entire case are related to Dawood Ibrahim gang. Dawood’s brother Anees was trying to execute the crime through the accused.
It has also come to the fore in the investigation that Zakir was arrested on the behest of Sameer Kalia. According to ATS, funding, arms and explosives were being provided to Sameer Kalia from the ‘D’ company. After the arrest of Zakir, Mumbai ATS raided the Mumbra area.
Earlier in September, Maharashtra ATS had told that Zakir had admitted during interrogation that he was acting on the behest of a person sitting abroad. However, it was not clear at the time whether the phone call had come from Pakistan. On the basis of his interrogation, ATS reached Rizwan’s rented house in Mumbra and found objectionable documents there.
Zakir told that the phone he had used was given to Rizwan to dispose off. During interrogation, Rizwan told that he had broken the phone into pieces and had threw it in a nearby drain. Later that phone was recovered from the drain.
According to sources, more than 15 people who came in contact with Zakir have been questioned. Mohammad Irfan Rahmat Ali Sheikh was also arrested in the same case in September. Maharashtra ATS had first arrested the suspected accused Jan Mohammad of Dharavi on the behest of Delhi Police.
