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Ambani threat case: NIA records statement of Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze
New Delhi A special cell team of Delhi police on Saturday interrogated Tehsin Akhtar, the last known chief of the now dormant homegrown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), after two smartphones were recovered from his barrack in Tihar’s jail number 8, one of which reportedly sent out a message that claimed responsibility for the explosives found in the SUV outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence on February 25
New Delhi A special cell team of Delhi police on Saturday interrogated Tehsin Akhtar, the last known chief of the now dormant homegrown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), after two smartphones were recovered from his barrack in Tihar’s jail number 8, one of which reportedly sent out a message that claimed responsibility for the explosives found in the SUV outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence on February 25.
The police on Friday sought a city court’s permission to question Akhtar – a 30-year-old civil engineer from Darbangha, Bihar, and a known close associate of arrested IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal – who is known to authorities as being both tech-savvy and an expert in making bombs.
“Special cell officers are interrogating Tehsin Akhtar. We had handed them the phones on Thursday [March 11] night. They came in the afternoon [of March 13] and are still inside,” a prison officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said late Saturday night.
A Telegram channel was created by “jaishulhind” [Jaish-ul-Hind] on February 26 and a message claiming responsibility for parking the vehicle outside Antilia, where Ambani lives with his family, was posted from that channel. A message seeking payment in bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, was also sent out on this channel, which reportedly had 10 members.
The identity of the members is not immediately known as the maker of the channel closed the group the following day.
The National Investigation Authority (NIA) is investigating the explosives found outside Ambani’s house after the Union home ministry took suo motu notice of the case.
During the course of its investigation, the agency discovered the Telegram message and traced it to Tihar jail. The Delhi police’s special cell was informed that two phones – an Oppo and a Vivo; both smartphones – were active inside the prison. At 8pm on March 11, Tihar prison authorities conducted a raid inside jail number 8 and found both phones.
Police are investigating whether Akhtar was involved in making the Telegram channel, as he is not the only one lodged inside the high risk cell of jail number 8. A second police officer said that Akhtar shares the cell with at least four other prisoners who have also been arrested on terror charges. The four men were arrested for being operatives of IM and Al Qaeda’s Indian sub-continent module.
Akhtar was the “operational chief” of IM when he was arrested in 2014 from Naxalbari in West Bengal, police said. He is reported to be in touch with other IM co-founders, Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan. He is implicated in a number of blasts, including one that took place during Narendra Modi’s rally in 2013 in Patna, as well as the 2011 Mumbai blasts at Zaveri Bazari and Opera House.
While most of the leaders behind IM are either convicted or behind bars, little is known about Jaish-ul-Hind.
“[Akhtar] seems to have a role in recovery of mobile phones from Tihar but one thing is for sure that there is no terror outfit named Jaish-ul-Hind on the ground. It’s most likely that somebody has played mischief or old Indian Mujahideen (IM) members are trying to be in limelight by claiming to be somebody else. We are investigating Tehsin Akhtar and other angles. We do not want to rule out anything yet,” said a Delhi Police officer, requesting anonymity.
A top counter-terrorism expert who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the so-called Jaish-ul-Hind had made similar claim after the low intensity explosion outside the Israel embassy on January 29, but the Internet Protocol address used for that message was traced to Turkey.
The NIA too is looking into the role of Tehsin Akhtar, also known as Monu, because of his capability as a master-strategist, officials said.
Akhtar had become the prime motivator and ideologue with the capacity to develop new modules for the now-banned outfit. He had also emerged as the vital link between the IM and other radical extremist groups emerging out of the umbrella of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) after the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal in 2013.
Mumbai cop questioned by NIA
The NIA on Saturday recorded the statement of Mumbai Police Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze in relation to its probe.
Vaze, an assistant police inspector with the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai crime branch till last week, was the lead investigator in the explosives case before it was transferred to the Anti Terrorism Squad, and later the NIA.
Vaze’s statement was recorded to understand the sequence of events as he was initially heading the investigation in Scorpio case as well his connection with Mansukh Hiran who was linked to the vehicle.
“We are talking to several Mumbai police officers including all the Investigating Officers (IOs) who handled the probe initially. It’s part of the process,” a senior NIA officer said.
Vaze is also under the scanner of the ATS for his involvement in the suspicious death of Mansukh Hiran, a 48-year-old Thane-based businessman linked to the Scorpio carrying explosives found parked outside Ambani’s house.
He was transferred out of the crime branch last week after leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis demanded his arrest in connection with Hiran’s death, after Hiran’s wife Vimla told the ATS that she suspected Vaze had a hand in her husband’s death.
Vaze, who filed for anticipatory bail on Friday, was denied interim protection by the Thane District and Sessions Court on Saturday which stated that “custodial interrogation is necessary” was necessary in the investigation.
The court posted the anticipatory bail hearing to March 19.
