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Delhi blasts could have been averted

Hindustan Times | ByVijaita Singh, New Delhi
Dec 18, 2008 12:44 AM IST

Seven days prior to the September 13 Delhi blasts, intelligence agencies had intercepted phone calls between Atif Ameen, head of the northern wing of the Indian Mujahideen and Mohammad Shakeel, the Gaffar market bomber, reports Vijaita Singh.

Seven days prior to the September 13 Delhi blasts, intelligence agencies had intercepted phone calls between Atif Ameen, head of the northern wing of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and Mohammad Shakeel, the Gaffar market bomber, the first chargesheet filed by the Special Cell in the Delhi bomb blasts case said.

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Central intelligence agencies had intercepted several phone calls of Atif (9811004309) September 2 to September 19, but the relevance of conversation could not be understood at that stage, read the chargesheet. Had they deciphered the calls at that stage many lives could have been saved.Hindustan Times has a copy of the chargesheet.

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After the blasts, the police analysed a call Shakeel made on September 6 from his phone (9899284784) to Atif from Gaffar market about parking of an auto. That was when they unearthed the terror plot, police said.

IM divided into four parts

The south India module was known as Sahabuddin Brigade. Mohammad Gaznavi brigade was formed for strikes in north and Shaheed-Al Zarkavi for strikes on VVIPs. One more group –– Media Group –– was responsible for sending mails to the media.

Fidayeen strikes on VVIPs

For the fidayeen attacks, Atif received AK-47s, pistols and revolvers in July-August 2008 that were recovered from L-18 Jamia Nagar after an encounter. Atif was preparing himself, Ariz Khan (absconding) and Mohammad Sajid (dead) for the suicide attacks.

Three numbers led to Batla House raid

Central intelligence agencies said three Gujarat mobile numbers –– 9712398204, 9714552899, 9724764196 –– were activated on July 14 and switched off on July 26, the day of the Ahmedabad blasts. During analysis, it was revealed that one of the numbers, 9714552899, was used in Delhi on July 17 from Jamia Nagar. During scrutiny, a BSNL UP number, 9415835341, figured in the call records of 9712398204. The location of the number, as well as Atif’s number, was found in the same tower.

Some explosives bought in Chandni Chowk

Mohammad Saif (arrested) told police he and Ariz posed as engineering students and purchased around 20,000 pieces of ball bearings from Chandni Chowk for Rs 1,800.

Money came through hawala channels

On September 3, Atif met a person, Ramesh, from whom he took a hawala payment of Rs 1.5 lakh.

Evidence from Atif’s mobile phone and laptop

The data extracted from Atif’s mobile phone and memory card comprised video clippings showing polythene in a dustbin in GK-I and India Gate. Many e-mail ids of IM members in India and abroad were also recovered from laptop.

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