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‘IM founder blast mastermind’
Mohammed Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy has told the Mumbai crime branch officials that all operations were planned and carried out by Iqbal Bhatkal alias Muhammad — the man who created Indian Mujhahideen. Presley Thomas reports.
Mohammed Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy, the 31-year-old software professional from Pune who had sent the terror e-mails before the serial blasts in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi, has told the Mumbai crime branch officials that all operations were planned and carried out by Iqbal Bhatkal alias Muhammad — the man who created Indian Mujhahideen.
Peerbhoy, in his statement, also said Iqbal had told him that Mufti Abu Bashar, an accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts, and his associates had no connection with it.
He said Iqbal had told him a week in advance about the Ahmedabad blasts. “On 20th or 21st July 2008, I met Iqbal at an apartment in Ashoka Mews near Kondhwa in Pune. He told me that the blasts were going to take place in Gujarat on Saturday, July 26. He also asked us to start preparing the e-mail.” Addding the mail, sent five miniues before the blats, was dictated by Iqbal. “It was Iqbal’s idea to sneer at the authorities and ask them to stop the blasts if they could — in the e-mail,” Peerbhoy said.
Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal’s brother, had given Peerbhoy and his group an image containing “Guru-Al-Hindi” signature, while Iqbal signed as “Al-Arbi”.
On July 26, 2008, Peerbhoy and along with two others went to Gunina Appartments in Mumbai where US national Kenneth Haywood had hired a flat. He then connected his laptops with Haywood’s non-secure Wi-Fi network and created the e-mail address alarbi_gujarat@yahoo.com and sent the emails at 6.40 pm.
