The Hindu : Front Page : Culprits in twin blasts case identified

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Culprits in twin blasts case identified

Marri Ramu

HYDERABAD: The city police have stumbled upon crucial clues that would help them catch the culprits behind the twin terror strikes that killed 43 persons on August 25 last.

The terrorist outfit, Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami (HUJI), that was responsible for Mecca Masjid blast on May 18 last triggered the twin blasts also, a top police officer said on Wednesday. “Narco-analysis tests conducted on Rafi alias Sheik Abdul Kaleem of Hyderabad gave us names of the key persons involved. Now, we are in the process of gathering evidence against them,” he said.

In his narco-analysis test, Rafi, a lab technician, said he came to know about the persons behind the blasts while chatting with Khaja, an alleged HuJI activist, through Internet. As per Khaja’s instructions, he went to the house of one, Imran, here to collect a parcel containing bombs. Later, the parcel was handed over to another person, Gidda Zahid of Salimnagar Colony. “The name of Khaja, along with Shahid alias Bilal, had cropped up in Mecca Masjid blast case as well. We have a fair picture with Rafi’s statement but we cannot completely depend on the narco-analysis test,” the officer explained. Efforts are on to identify the persons whose names Rafi had revealed.

The police had already identified the persons behind Mecca Masjid blast as Zabi and Majnu who planted the bombs. Another Bangladeshi, who assisted them in triggering the explosion, is, however, yet to be identified.

Zabi and Majnu were among the nine youth arrested on the charge of conspiring to wage a war against the State. The city police had filed a charge-sheet in the conspiracy case a couple of days ago.

Another narco-analysis test on Imran revealed that a parcel containing RDX was delivered to one Zahid in Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. But police there said they were not aware of it.

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